


The Dangerous Game

by CaspianOfTheDead



Series: Hooded Apprentice [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Afab!apprentice, EVENTUAL asra/apprentice/julian, Eventual Smut, Like, Lucio is a brat, Multi, NB!Apprentice - Freeform, Other, also they’re a slut, its going to seem a little odd but there was still a memory wipe for the apprentice, like the very thottiest, no red plague au, so basically they them and nothing really specifically femme but, this is super au, you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:58:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 60,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaspianOfTheDead/pseuds/CaspianOfTheDead
Summary: The Apprentice is swept up in a disasterous mess of courtly intrigue and drama when they want nothing more than a peaceful life and a hood to hide under.





	1. Enter Lucio, the Great Shit Starter

**Author's Note:**

> Mmmm this is pure self indulgence.

* * *

It was mid morning, and you were carefully braiding some grasses against the counter when his noisy carriage pulled up. Asra frowned and peered out of the window, his expression going from confusion to shock. It was unusual enough that a carriage would arrive outside the shop- let alone one as grand as this. You set down your work and met Asra’s confused gaze, but there was no time to exchange words before the door swung open violently. A man with a gleaming metal arm and a sneer on his face stood in the doorway, peering around. His eyes landed on you, and stuck there.

 

“Are you the little shopkeeper I’ve heard about?” He drawled, his voice was low and gravelly. You tilted your head.

 

“My answer to that depends entirely on what you’ve heard,” You snap back. You glance over him again. You don’t recognise him, but you can tell he’s likely of some importance from his clothes. You decide to be good and make nice. “Sir…” You add half heartedly. 

 

To your surprise, your reluctance seems to delight him… in a way. His eyes lit up and his sharp smile grows. “Well, I’ve heard that Asra was hiding away a lovely little fortune teller who knew a handful of parlour tricks that could keep my courtiers happy for a few nights…”

 

You glance to Asra, who is  _ glaring _ at the man in front of you. You frown.  _ Courtiers? _ You look back at the man, his arm, his clothes.

 

“Ah… I see ‘sir’ wasn’t enough. Your excellency. I  _ am _ Asra’s apprentice. I’m capable of some magic and… a… few entertaining tricks. I, however, do not make house calls,”

 

Lucio’s eyes flashed dangerously. His smile was gone. “Oh? You don’t? Well, I expect you’ll make an exception for  _ me _ ,”

 

You glance at Asra. He looks even more worried than before, but when he glances at you, he nods almost imperceptibly. You sigh, and turn back to Lucio with an obliging smile.

 

“...Of course, your excellency. I will pack my things and set out first thing tomorrow-“

 

“Tomorrow! No, I need entertainment for tonight’s dinner party! Why on earth would you need so long to pack?”

 

You blink, surprised. “Well… It’s not just the packing. Your palace is far to travel on foot… uh… my lord…” You said, wondering if you had to use an honorific every time you spoke to him. You preferred to air on the side of caution… what, with what you’d heard of the Count. He waved his hand dismissively. 

 

“Oh, no, just grab your wand and your cards and let us be off, you can travel on the back of my carriage. Come now, I’m not accustomed to waiting!”

 

You look to Asra again, but he is just as shocked as you are. You swallow thickly, but then grasp a bag, and throw some things into it. Count Lucio watches with an expression of displeasure on his features before you throw the bag over your shoulder and rush to Asra. 

 

“Take care of the shop. It’s only a few days. I’ll be back soon… I… I’ll see you when this is all over,”

 

Asra opens his mouth, looking like he wanted to protest, but you shake your head. 

 

“A few days. Nothing bad can happen just from a few days of parlour tricks, right?”

 

“... Be careful,” Asra said, his eyes pleading. You shoot him a crooked smile.

 

“When am I not?” You coo. He laughs.

 

“When are you  _ ever _ ?” 

 

“Are you  _ quite _ done?” The Count snaps angrily. You grit your teeth. He had the air of someone who was not used to being ignored. You turn and offer him a placating smile.

 

“Apologies, your… highness. Just one more second, I… beg…” You turn your back on him and gently kiss Asra’s cheek. 

 

“Ah,” He gasps, blushing.

 

“A few days,” You hiss, reassuringly. Asra’s face is a deep red as you back away from him, and Count Lucio sneers at you as you scramble past him. You head toward the back of the carriage, and perch as best you can on the little outcropping there, ruffling your hair and knocking your feet together nervously. The Count paused, squinting at you for a moment before getting into the carriage. You suppose you  _ should _ have grovelled more. You were never good at grovelling. The carriage lurched, and you were almost unseated, but you managed to hang on. 

 

As you pulled away, Asra rushed out of the shop, concern on his features, and a hand on the doorway. You waved as cheerfully as you could, hoping your supposed unconcern would comfort him. A twinge if irony stung in your chest. When you were the one to leave, he didn’t seem to handle it quite so well. 

 

You sigh. Even by carriage, it was quite a ways to the palace, and the step you were perched on was wildly uncomfortable. Not to mention that everyone would see Asra’s apprentice strapped to the back of Count Lucio’s carriage like luggage. You bit your lip and pulled your hood down over your face.

 

After a moment, the carriage lurched unexpectedly to a stop. The lack of warning unseated you, and you helped as you struck the ground. your hands were grazed, and you raised them to your face to examine. The count swung his door wide and stomped out into the market, glancing back at you and then freezing. He looked furious. 

 

“What are you doing, squatting in the mud? Are you trying to run away?” He snapped, eyes flashing. You look up at him and try to hold back a sneer as you got to your feet, careful of your hands. 

 

“No, your excellency. I merely fell from the ledge,”

 

“Why did you do that?” He snapped, placing his good hand on his hip and shaking his head incredulously. You had to bite back a laugh. The Count really must have been… dim. 

 

“Ah, I suppose I’m not as graceful as your… Countly-ness,” You teased, unable to bite back a smile. He narrowed his eyes, and you looked down at the ground.  _ Too much, he’s not Asra, you can’t get away with that kind of thing… _ You think. The count cleared his throat.

 

“Well… obviously not. I have some orders to make that the servants can’t be trusted with. You…” He shot you a sidelong glance and sniffed. It was as though he was a twisted caricature of aristocracy. You would be glad to find yourself at the palace and be able to get away from him for a laugh. “You wait by the carriage,”

 

You inclined your head as humbly as possible before turned and biting back your smile. He cleared his throat, and you heard one of his expensive shoes click against the ground. 

 

“I did  _ not _ dismiss you!” He snapped dryly. You turn back to him and bowed.

 

“Ah… my apologies. I… merely meant to do as you said as efficiently as possible,” 

 

Count Lucio sniffed again, scowling at you. You tilt you head, awaiting a response. He turned and beckoned. “On second thought, I don’t trust you. You’ll have to come with me,” He said, turning on his heel and actually pointing at the ground beside him. You couldn’t help it. You let out a little laugh. Your sense of humour really was going to get you into trouble here. By the end of the week you’d definitely be in a dungeon. You thought of Asra, and decided to behave yourself as much as possible. 

 

You shuffled to the count’s side, hovering just behind his gleaming shoulder. He turned and shot you a dirty look. “Beside me,” He snapped. You were taken aback. You thought that he would prefer you to trail along behind him. Apparently he was serious about wanting to keep an eye on you. You drew up next to him, and lowered your hood again, resisting the urge to push your chin up. You forced yourself to be as humble as possible. He frowned. “There’s something  _ off _ about you,”

 

“Perhaps you just… are unaccustomed to magi,” You suggest in a quiet voice. The count frowned.

 

“I have met many fortune tellers and court magicians in my life. You’re nothing like them. You’re…odd,”

 

You bite your lip, trying not to bristle.  _ Odd? This pompous prick has the gall to call  _ you  _ odd? _ “My apologies, Sire,” You say, holding back a sneer, “I do not mean to be,”

 

“Hm,” He hummed, turning away again and striding off into the market. He strutted out to the fabric stall, and ordered the most expensive cotton they had without looking at it first. You swallowed.  _ A servant couldn’t have done this? _

 

“Are those your only clothes?” He snapped at you. You cocked an eyebrow, but quickly dipped your head to hide your expression. Maybe you shouldn’t have lowered your hood. 

 

“You told me not to pack…”

 

“What are you wearing under that shawl?”

 

“Excuse me?” You squeak, looking up at him. He snorted derisively. 

 

“I asked,” he said, striding closer and bringing his clawed hand to the bone pin holding your shawl closed at your neck. He pulled it, and it fell open, revealing your loose cotton shirt, open a little too low on your chest because you’d lost the lace when you’d washed it. The count pulled the shawl, and you knew enough to resist the urge to snatch it back. You stood, head bowed, in your loose dyed cotton shirt and trousers with one too many patches in the knees.

 

“You were going to stand at my court in this?” He sneered. You felt the heat burn in your cheeks. You were in public! He was humiliating you in the middle of the marketplace! 

 

“I was going to wear my shawl,” You muttered under your breath. Count Lucio stepped even closer, his face inches from yours. 

 

“What did you say?” 

 

You caught his eye and the looked at the floor again. “I was going to wear my shawl, Sire,” You hissed. He snorted, backing up and shaking his head.

 

“Pathetic. Shameful. Honestly, you commoners…” He turned to the fabric seller and flicked his wrist at you.

 

“And two yards of all your finest silks and gauzes in some more flattering colours than…” He sneered at you again. “... _ beige…” _

 

You clenched you jaw and looked back at the ground. You had thought that he was just a harmless spoiled aristocrat. A brat. But this… This was  _ malicious _ …

 

You bite your lip, your hands twitch toward your shawl, and you notice that Lucio had dropped your bone pin on the floor. You stoop to pick it up, just as he turned to look at you again, one knee on the dirty ground. You look up at him, and you supposed your face must have said something, because he tossed your shawl back at you, sneering. 

 

“Oh dear, is that your most precious possession or something? Have I hurt your feelings?” 

 

You duck your head, teeth grit, and pull your shawl back around you, pulling the hood low over your face. You stay on the ground until you’ve pinned the fabric together, your hands shaking with anger. 

 

“I expect you to respond when I speak to you,”

 

You get to your feet, but don’t look at him. You address his stupid, expensive shoes. “Perhaps… not my most precious. But none of my possessions are disposable,  _ Your Excellency _ ,” You say, trying your best not to growl. 

 

His human hand quickly dipped down the front of your shawl and catches the necklaces knotted at your throat, simple silver charms on waxed threads, and plenty of them. He grasped them, yanking you toward him. His clawed metal hand pulled the hood from your head. You force yourself to keep your eyes from his face. “I don’t like your tone,”

 

_ So? What’s your point? _ “My sincerest apologies, your majesty,” You hiss. He yanks your necklaces a little harder, forcing you to stumble closer, inches between you. You’re aware of his clawed hand’s presence somewhere behind your head. The way it had felt scraping against your scalp as he pulled your hood from you making you swallow nervously.

 

“Look at me when I’m talking to you. Look at me!” He snapped, shaking your necklaces again. You felt like a dog on a leash, it was making your face burn. You knew this would get back to Asra- likely just later that day. You dragged your gaze slowly to the Count’s face, but avoided his eyes. His expression was intense, greedy. Like he needed your focus. His behaviour was so strange, your head was spinning. 

 

“Yes, your… highness,” You whisper, forcing your hands to your sides, letting all the fight drain out of your body. Going limp.  _ Play the part, don’t be yourself, it’s like a game. _

 

He swallowed, then looked around, seeming to realise for the first time that he was drawing attention to himself. You let your gaze fall to the ground again, trying hard to look inconspicuous. He cleared his throat. “Come along then,” He snapped, turning around again and stomping down to the next vendor he meant to hassle. You paused for a moment, but the rest of the shopping had nothing to do with you, and you kept your mouth shut until Lucio lead you back to the carriage. You moved to your little outcropping on the rear, but he caught the hem of your shawl and pulled you back. 

 

“Oh, no,” He sneered, “Can’t have you dropping some valuable piece of trash and deciding to leap off the carriage to chase it down a hill,” He said, spinning you around to face him and flicking the bone needle in your shawl. You frown. 

 

“Do you want me to sit with the driver, Sire?” You ask, keeping your voice quiet and your eyes fixed on his mouth, rather than his own. He frowned. 

 

“No, No. You’ll be in the carriage, with me,” He snapped, gesturing for the driver to open the door and indicating for you to get in. You blinked at him, trying to process your surprise as quickly as possible. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, how does your master put up with you? You’re so dense,”

 

_ Don’t react, don’t react, he can have your life if he wants it… _ “Sorry, Your…”

 

“Oh for the god’s sake! Just pick something and stick to it! Call me Lucio if you're too dense to choose a title,” He growled, taking your arm and pushing you up into the carriage. You stumbled getting in, scuffing the toe of your boots against the expensive flooring and scrambling to take a seat as far from the door as possible as Count Lucio got in and sat on the bench across from you, dead center, his eyes fixed on you. 

 

To avoid saying anything abrasive, you bite your tongue and look out the window of the carriage, your hands finding your hood and moving to pull it up, but a cold metal hand closed around your wrist. You swallowed and looked at the Count with nervous eyes. 

 

“First you don’t thank me properly for allowing you to ride with me, and now you’re trying to hide again? What kind of strange little commoner are you?” 

 

You look at him, and release your hood, slinking down in your seat.  _ Think fast, you’re upsetting him… _ “A commoner unused to the spotlight,” You paused, eyes fixed on his mouth as you hesitated, “You draw the eyes of everyone, and I am used to having none but my Master’s on me,” You swallow, hoping it was the right thing to say. Lucio released your wrist and settled back in his seat, preening slightly. The tension in your chest eased slightly.

 

“Well! That’s about to change,” He said. His eyes flashed back to you, and your eyes dropped to where his expensive cape was fastened around his neck. You shifted. When you glanced back up at his face, the expression he was wearing made you nervous. There was something predatory in it. “And your master was wrong to keep you all to himself,”

 

Your eyes widened, and you swallow, looking back out the window. “You haven’t seen my work yet,” you say, your fingers tracing along the frame of the window. He cleared his throat, and you looked back at him. 

 

“Unless you’re suggesting that I’m a fool that takes the word of liars-”

 

You shook your head quickly.  _ How fast did you slip into the role of this scared little church mouse? _ But Count Lucio smiled. 

 

“Then you and I can both stop pretending you’re anything less than a skilled magician,” 

 

You hesitated, then looked down at his knees, unable to keep looking at that predator’s smile on his lips. Your lip caught between your teeth, and you shuffled your feet. There was a pause, and then Lucio decided he would continue.

 

“Perhaps you could show me something? A sneak peek for tonight’s show?”

 

“For exactly how many nights will I be your entertainment?” You ask. Count Lucio frowned at you. 

 

“Are you already thinking of returning to your little hiding hole, Little One?” 

 

_ Little One? _ “No, Sire, Just… Just trying to plan what I’ll be performing. I would hate to bore your court with repeated tricks,”

 

“Well, give me a sample of what awaits for tonight,”

 

You bit your lip. There was always the possibility of disappointing him, and he was a powerful man. But you took a deep breath, held you palm out between you and he, and summoned forth a little lace-winged butterfly comprised of blue light. You let it flutter out to the glass of the window, and then disappear. You looked back at the Count, eyes fixed in his mouth again.

 

“It will be more impressive in low light,” You said, keeping your voice low, hoping it was impressive enough to keep you in his- well, not good, but at least in his graces. 

 

“Hm,” He leaned back again, and you could feel the heat of his gaze on your face. You ached to pull your hood back over yourself. “We keep the hall where you’ll be performing brightly lit,” He pointed out. You shook your head.

 

“Dimming the lights is not something I find difficult,” You whisper. He cocked an eyebrow at you.

 

“Oh, well that must come in handy with your master,”

 

“Excuse me?” You bristled, turning to him without thinking. He was smirking, an eyebrow raised. 

 

“Oh, have I struck a nerve? Does your master prefer to do it with the lights on then?”

 

You gaped at him for a moment, cursing yourself for flushing so easily. “I… it’s not like that between he and I,”

 

“Oh?” The Count cooed, his eyebrows rocketing toward his hairline. You stare at him.

 

“No, it’s not,”

 

“Interesting…” He said, propping his human arm up and placing his rings to his lips, regarding you thoughtfully. You touched your hood reflexively and swallowed. you wished more than anything to be back behind the carriage. Or back at your shop, laughing with Asra as he overbrewed his tea. 

 

“ _ No _ , it’s  _ not _ ,”

 

The Count raised his eyebrows again. “I think I can decide what I find interesting or not,”

 

“Nothing about me is interesting,” You insisted. He hummed. 

 

“I beg to differ,”

 

You snapped your eyes to his for the first time, jaw set, fists curling in the fabric of your shawl. Your response was off your tongue before you could catch yourself. “Then beg,” You hissed. The Count’s eyes shot wide, and his face flushed. You slapped your hands over your mouth.  _ You did it. You really did it. You’re going to rot in a dungeon for the rest of your life and break Asra’s heart. He’ll never know what happened to you at best. All because you couldn’t hold your tongue. _

 

But then his face broke into that predatory smile again, his eyes alight with something that set your insides writhing brutally. “There it is. That’s what was off. You were playing, weren’t you? You did well. You almost had me. I thought you’d be another boring little trickster. But you do have a little bite to you,”

 

You swallow, keeping your hands over your mouth and staring at him with a mixture of fear and defiance. His eyes had lit up, and his lips were curled into a smile full of threats. You itched to retreat into your hood, but the last thing you wanted was for him to come anywhere near you, let alone touch your wrist like he had done the last time you’d tried. 

 

“So you like games then?” 

 

“What makes you think that?” You hesitated. “Sire…”

 

“Everything about you, little one,”

 

You swallow, and raise your chin. If he was going to try you, then you were going to show him what he wanted to see. You straighten your back and stare at his mouth, pushing a little wave of magic into the air, wondering if he would feel it crackling through the air. If the way he swallowed and let out a little breath was any indication, he could. 

 

Then the carriage lurched to a sudden stop, and you slid straight off the seat again, bracing yourself on the seat in front of you. Your eyes shot wide.  _ Oh for goodness sake… _ one hand had landed neatly on the seat. The other had found the seat between the Count’s spread legs. You snatched your hand away and scrambled back into your own seat, finally giving in and retreating into your hood.

 

You couldn’t block out the little laugh he let out under his breath as the door swung open. “You first, little trickster,” He cooed. You clear your throat and scramble out of the carriage as quickly as possible, looking around for the servant who the Count will be pushing you off onto. No one was there. Maybe they were inside?

 

The Count descended from the carriage and then cleared his throat. The guards yanked the doors open, and then he turned to you. You took the hint, and scrambled through the open doors into the entrance hall. He walked in after you, his expensive shoes clicking against the tile like an alarm. Again, you looked around you for the servant `who you’d be dumped on, but once again, no one was in sight. You looked back at the Count, starting to worry that he hadn’t planned ahead at all. That was, until he snapped his fingers and pointed at the ground beside himself again. “Come,” He said, as though you were a dog. 

 

You held back a retort as you came to stand beside him. You look at him expectantly from below the edge of your hood. 

 

“The court seamstress is waiting for you in your guest room,” 

 

“Where is it?”

 

“I’ll show you,” He said, his tone growing short. You’re glad of your hood hiding your shocked expression. 

 

“Oh?”

 

“What were you expecting?”

 

“A servant,”

 

“The servant is waiting in the guest room,” He said plainly, grasping your wrist a little more firmly than was necessary and dragging you up the grand staircase. The sudden change in his mood now that he was in his own palace was dizzying. He was dizzying. You wanted to yank your wrist from his grip and snarl at him. 

 

He lead you straight to a large room with a four poster bed, a woman stood there with a tape measure and a patient expression. The Count dragged you straight to her and immediately flopped down into the nearest armchair, watching patiently. You blinked at him as the seamstress undid your shawl, pulling it from you with much more care than the Count had done so mere hours beforehand. You swallow as she began to measure you, humming thoughtfully and glancing at the Count as she marked them down. He was looking at you thoughtfully. 

 

“Do you think you will be able to get something together in time for tonight?” 

 

“Of course, your excellency,” The seamstress said. “Would you still like the designs we discussed earlier?”

 

“No, no,” He said, waving his hand, “No, now that I’ve met our dearest little trickster I think that a change of plans is in order,”

 

“Oh?” The seamstress asked as she measured your ankle. You frowned. 

 

“Yes. Now for tonight…” He beckoned the seamstress to him, and he hissed something to her, gesturing at you with odd motions. You bite your lip and look away. Whatever he had in mind… you hated it. 

 

“And what kind of fabric would you like that in, your excellency?” The seamstress asked, standing straight again and tilting her head. Count Lucio waved his hand.

 

“Surprise me. Several bolts should be delivered in a few minutes, and you can pick a flattering tone. I really can’t be bothered with every little detail…”

 

You narrow your eyes.  _ Well, that’s a lie if ever you’ve heard one. Does he actually do any work at all? _ His eyes fix on you again, and you thought of the guard who comes by to collect the tax you owe on the shop every month.  _ You’re paying for nonsense like this? _

 

You raise your chin and sigh as the seamstress finishes her work and then packs up, leaving you and the Count in your supposed guest room alone. You refuse to look at him as you remove your bag and lie it on a dresser. 

 

“You’ll need to bathe,” He snapped, sounding irritable again. You hum, carefully removing a little pouch of specially mixed sands and ground gems from your bag and tucking them beneath a pillow on the bed, raising one hand and bowing your head. The spell pouch glowed brightly for a moment, then the light faded completely, leaving the pillow looking very much as it had. 

 

“I said-”

 

“And I heard you,” You say quietly, still not looking at him, “but I’m afraid as I don’t know where the bath is, I can’t do anything about it at the moment. You’ll have to find a servant who’ll be so kind as to assist me,”

 

“I can show you to the bathroom!” He snapped, the sound of his shoes on the wooden floor almost comical as he got to his feet. 

 

“And can you fill the bath, fetch me a towel and help me back to my room to await your talented seamstress’s clothing delivery?” You ask, as much patience as you can muster in every syllable. You still weren’t looking at him, and you were fairly sure that’s why he was halfway to a tantrum. 

 

He huffed, and you turned your back on him, hiding a smile. He was easily the strangest person you had ever met. Like a child had been put in an adult’s body and given all the money they could handle. You turned to him and raised your eyebrows expectantly, fixing your eyes on his collar. 

 

“Would you like to call a servant so that I can do those things and you will be able to go and continue on with your day?”

 

Count Lucio pouted, but then turned and pulled a silk rope hanging from the ceiling. You were confused for a moment as he stood there, tapping his foot and looking downright sulky. Eventually, however, a slender manservant came scrambling through the door, looking slightly panicked. Count Lucio rounded on him. 

 

“What on earth took you so long? Did you get lost? did you take a nap? What kind of lazy, pathetic swill is Nadia channeling into my palace?”

 

“I’m incredibly sorry, your excellency, I was on the other end of the palace, I truly ran here as quickly as I could,” 

 

“Well perhaps being chased around the palace grounds for a day may make you a little quicker on your feet?”

 

“Please, your-“

 

“Stop,” You spat, turning to face the Count with unrestrained anger. He looked up at you, shocked. The servant stumbled backward, clutching the hem of his shirt nervously. 

 

“What?” Count Lucio snapped, bewildered. You shook your head. 

 

“I’ll quit right here and now if you keep talking to him like that. I’d rather have whatever punishment you’re going to give him than see you do something like this,” 

 

Count Lucio pursed his lips, glaring at you, a muscle in his jaw twitching. He pointed at the door, not looking at the servant as he addressed him. 

 

“Take then to the bath. Scrub them clean, then they are to come straight back here and  _ wait _ ,” He snarled, then he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The servant gaped at you.

 

“You should  _ not  _ have done that,” He whispered, both of you listening carefully to his retreating footsteps. Your eyes landed on the Count’s abandoned cape on the armchair. You swallow.

 

“I don’t regret it,”

 

“You don’t regret it yet,” The servant hissed, opening the door slowly and peering around the corner. He sighed in relief. 

 

“Come along,” He said nervously beckoning to you, “I’d wager in that mood, you don’t have much time,” 

 


	2. The Web You Weave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You cast some spells, you meet some folks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm i’m DRUNK

Freshly bathed and dried, you were perched on your bed, shuffling your tarot deck and chewing on the inside of your cheek. You try not to look at the cape draped over the armchair in the corner, but your eyes keep flicking to it. You pulled a card from the deck. Looking down at it, you smiled. 

 

Strength.

 

Any moment Lucio would return and inflict his punishment. And you would take it, straight-backed and proud. You wouldn’t let yourself fear him. You refused to be scared of some power hungry toddler with a swollen head. You laughed under your breath at the thought of his expression if you said it to his face. But no. You’d gladly take the lashes for every servant and guard in the palace if you had to. You wouldn’t let the Count hurt innocent people if you could avoid it.

 

But when the door opened, and you scrambled to gather your towel around yourself, it wasn’t the Count in the doorway. It was the seamstress, holding a bundle of fabric that kept clinking in a muffled way. You frowned.

 

“Is that what I’m to wear tonight?” You ask. The seamstress nodded, looking a little guilty.

 

“I’m sorry dear. You know how it is…”

 

You raise your eyebrows at her, but she just shuffled past you and begins to lay the clothes out. You frown again, deeper now. “Is his taste really that bad?”

 

“He’s… an extravagant man, she said, turning to you and pulling your arms up before sliding something gauzy and insubstantial over your head. You scowl as she fastens a silver cuff around your neck that seems to function as the collar of the shirt. You look down and see the plunging neckline and deep blue, airy cotton fabric across your torso. It was completely sleeveless, which exposed the tattoos you had on your arms, sigils and protective seals weaved like mandalas along your skin. Your back and ribs were covered in them too, but those were better obscured. The seamstress began fussing over the fastenings of the shirt. Eventually you were tied tightly into a shirt that could hardly be considered more than underwear. Your face was on fire. 

 

“He doesn’t seriously expect me to wear this in front of people, does he?” You squeak as she begins to help you into a pair of leather trousers. You were glad of them, at first, that was, until you realised the laces exposed your hips and a large portion of your thigh on either side. you look at the seamstress pleadingly. “Please, please tell me these don’t fit…”

 

The seamstress looked at you with pity. “No dear… they fit as they were designed to,” She said, tying the last strings. You huff, staring at the ceiling and wondering idly why the fates had decided to test you. Then you were struck my an idea.

 

“Do you have any scrap fabric from the shirt that I can scavenge?” You asked pleadingly, “You can just tell him I stole them, I just need a needle, a thread, and two minutes with some fabric.

 

The woman fidgeted uncomfortably, and you clasped your hands, looking at her imploringly. “Please?”

 

She sighed and went to her bag, pulling out a half yard of gauzy blue cotton. You beamed at her and took it, pulling your needle and thread from your bag and grinning at her. 

 

“Thank you! I owe you one- no, I owe you four,”

 

“The week isn’t over yet, dear,” the seamstress sighed, grabbing her things and leaving again as you began cutting by magic and stitching frantically.

 

At the end of it all, you’d managed to attach an oversized hood to the back of the top you’d been strapped into. One that covered most of your face. You beamed at your reflection in the vanity. Even Asra might not recognise you. Well… he might, but it would take him a moment. 

 

You went back to shuffling your cards, conscious of the sun sinking in the horizon. What was Asra doing? Was he thinking of you too? Were you on his mind?

 

You chewed your lip for a moment, hoping he wasn’t too worried, before the door opened, and the same servant who’d helped you in the bath was standing in the doorway, looking terrified. 

 

“You… you’re to go to dinner now. I’m to lead you to the dining hall,”

 

You straighten up, adjusting your hood and following him down to the dining hall. You take a deep breath, and stride in. The table around the hall is shaped like a U, with an empty floor in the center and the door you had just crossed through in plain view from any seat in the place. Your hood obscured your view of all the courtiers, and you came to stand in the center of the floor, waiting to be addressed. Silence fell as you waited for instruction. You heard the Count clear his throat.

 

“Let us see your face, little trickster,” 

 

You clear your throat. “I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Sire,” 

 

You could hear the courtiers rustling, and peered out toward the center of the table, where you knew he must sit. He looked absolutely seething.

 

But beside him… was a stunning woman with incredibly long reddish hair tied back, and red eyes. Her skin was dark, and even the way her chest rose and fell with her breath seemed elegant to the point of otherworldliness. She was almost smiling, entertained by you already, it seemed. She took your breath away. You smiled again.

 

Then you spun on your heel, pushing your hand out and lowering yourself as you went. The torches along the walls all extinguished themselves, and you stood again in the dark room. The courtiers were gasping, some of them sounding worried. Now you really began to smile, guaranteed that no one could see you. You took a deep breath, and pulled your hands down in front of your chest. Light began to gather there, and you clenched your jaw in concentration.  _ It’s just a simple illusion. You do it for the orphans in the market at least once a week. It’s not hard. It’s routine… _ you told yourself, trying to quash your rampant nerves. 

 

You exhaled, swinging your hands outward slowly as you walked forward, setting a small swarm of luminous butterflies free from your wrists and hands. You channelled some of your energy to your feet as you strode forward, letting little blades of luminous grass appear around your feet, flowers blooming in your wake as you bring your hands forward again.

 

You cupped light in them, and the light in your hands illuminated your way forward as you drew toward the Count and the beautiful woman beside him. You stepped up onto the platform where the table sat, and, your hands held out in front of you, you forced a pinkish rose comprised of light to bud and bloom there. You nudged it upward, where it hovered in front of the two, and then you plucked it from thin air.  _ Parlour tricks. Nothing more _ . You coo internally, thinking that Asra would be proud of how far you’ve come in your illusion work. You offer the rose to the beautiful woman, bowing your head to make sure she couldn’t see your face as she reached out.

 

You feel her fingers brush against yours and you release it. You rush backward, gathering up all your remaining strength and recentering yourself in the room. You look up, and reaching above your head, you force a massive willow tree to erupt from the ground, vine like branches sprawling out and swaying in a nonexistent breeze. Panting, and sweating, you stagger slightly, but no one can see you in the blinding light of the illusion. You heard gasps, and clapping, and you allow your illusions to fade away, dimming the room back down to pitch.

 

When the tree had faded completely, you illuminate a palm, and use it to make your way toward the door. When you reach it, you looked behind you, and waved your hand. The torches caught light again. You left the dining hall. 

 

As soon as the door is shut, you slumped against the servant, hands shaking.

 

“Oh gods, I’d murder for a sandwich right now,” You joked. The servant laughed shakily.

 

“How’d it go?”

 

“Guess we’ll know by how studded the paddle the Count uses to beat me with is tonight,” The man looked as though he didn’t find that funny at all. 

 

“I think you should see the court doctor-“

 

“Ah, the court doctor can bite me, how about you show me the court chef and I grab some table scraps before you put me back in my cell- I mean  _ room _ ,” you said, wiping the sweat from your brow and struggling to your feet. The man looked nervous, and took your hand, helping you along. 

 

“How about I do you one better. I’ll put you back in your cell and have someone bring you some food and some pyjamas… and um… underwear,”

 

“Underwear would be… great,” You laughed, looking down at your completely exposed hips and thighs. The servant lead you up to the room and deposited you safely on the bed. 

 

A few minutes later, a pretty redheaded girl came and set a tray on the bedside stand. She leaned down and felt your forehead with her warm, dry hand. You’d squint up at her and offer her a crooked smile.

 

“Well hello there. What’s your name?” You said, wiggling your eyebrows. She laughed and shook her head.

 

“I’m Portia, and you’re sick,” She said, turning to offer you a drink of water. You struggle to sit up and shake your head.

 

“‘M not sick, just drained,” you yawn and take the glass, “I just need a snack and a nap,”

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the court doctor?” She asked, taking the glass from you again and holding out a soup bowl. You took it and thanked her.

 

“No. No doctor. There really isn’t anything wrong with me,” you hiss, drinking the hot soup down quickly and handing her back the empty bowl, “Well… other than the fact I’ve gotten myself into more trouble in the last seven hours than some people see in a year, but other than that, of course… not a thing wrong,” 

 

Portia laughed, and shook her head, her curly red hair bouncing with the movement. You felt a pang if jealousy for the Count. He was surrounded by so much beauty and wealth, but was too much of a spoiled little snot rag to appreciate it. 

 

“I’m still going to call the doctor, he might be able to give you something to help you sleep,” She said. You groan and flop back into your pillows, pulling the blanket over your head.

 

“If you must. But the last thing I want is some wizened old man coming in here and sticking leeches all over me,”

 

Portia snorted, grinning down at you. You looked at her, surprised. “I’m totally telling him that you said that,” She says, grasping the tray and moving toward the door. You bolt upright again, ignoring how it made your head spin. 

 

“No! I didn’t mean it! I don’t want to be rude, that’s awful, Portia, please don’t tell him I said that!”

 

She just laughed and backed out of the room. “Oh, you’re in for a shock,” She hummed as she shut the door with a deft click. You huffed again and yanked your hood over your head, 

 

You were just beginning to drift off to sleep when the door swung open again, startling you upright and making your hood fall around your shoulders. There stood a man with curly auburn hair, looking like he hadn’t slept in days but wearing a bright smile. You shot upright and stared at him, beginning to debate the merits of barricading yourself into the room.

 

“I heard somebody ordered a wizened old man with a jar full of leeches?” He proclaimed, holding back a laugh. You groaned and rested your head in your hands.

 

“Of course  _ you’re _ the doctor,” You growled, eyeing him.  _ Was anyone in this palace unattractive? _

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He teased, striding forward and taking your wrist, checking your pulse against the pocket watch he held. You looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

 

“It means this damn palace keeps surprising me,”

 

“Am I a good surprise, or a bad one,” He asked, pressing his long fingers to your forehead and smirking. His grey eyes sparkled mischievously. You smiled back. 

 

“I don’t know, that depends, did you really bring leeches with you?” You teased, trying to distract him from your shaking hands. The doctor laughed. It was a nice sound. A little rusty, maybe, as though he didn’t do it enough. 

 

“No, not yet,” He said, “Portia said that the show you put on this evening went over well… at least, with everyone but you,”

 

“Ah, some parlour tricks. I’m just tired,”

 

“Would you like to take something to help you sleep?” the doctor asked, a little more businesslike than he had been before. 

 

“No, no, I have a spell I cast if i’m having trouble,”

 

The doctor snorted and shook his head. “Your solution to an illness brought of by your magic use is to use more magic?”

 

“Well… when you say it like that it doesn’t make any sense,” You say, pulling the blanket up and standing. When he saw your outfit, his face flushed. You roll your eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be used to the human body or something?” You said, striding over to your bag and pulling from it a half finished charm made of braided lemongrass. He cleared his throat.

 

“What? Of course, I…” He cleared his throat again. “I’m completely immune to the affects of… um…”

 

“Leather trousers?” You teased, smiling at him. He swallowed, his eyes tracing your form. 

 

“... yes, leather trousers um… have no effect at all on me…”

 

“I can see that,” You laughed. You hesitate, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. “You really aren’t going to leech me, are you?”

 

He raised his hands. “Not a leech on my person! I swear!”

 

You squint at him, and a cheeky grin overtook his features. 

 

“If you want to search me, you can,” He cooed, his eyes hooded. You step forward, placing your hands on his sides.

 

“I think I will,” His face flushed, and he looked shocked as you felt down over his sides, trailing your hands over his pockets and down his legs. You unfastened his coat and pulled it from his shoulders, tossing it onto the bed. You walk around to the back of him, feeling his back and over his hips. You could see even his ears and neck were red now. He turned to look over his shoulder at you, and you tutted. “Did I say you could move?” You snap. He snapped his head back to look straight ahead. 

 

“No, you didn’t,” He said, his voice sounding a little husky. You would have kept the game going longer, but your head was spinning, and you really did feel exhausted. You walked back around to where his coat lay and began rummaging through his pockets, depositing the contents onto your bedspread. 

 

A little bottle of semi-translucent blue liquid, tightly sealed. A pair of scissors and a roll of bandages. A very sharp knife that you cut yourself checking. A vial of clear liquid that smelled like a disinfectant. Some jars of herbs. A bag of coins. A coil of thick sturdy twine. A jar of cotton squares. Other odds and ends that were usual for a person to carry around. You perched back on the bed and looked up at him, feeling a little lightheaded. 

 

“Alright, you’re cleared. What are the doctors orders, then?”

 

The doctor’s eyes flashed. “Oh, I’m allowed to give orders now?”

 

“I’ll allow it,” You said, smiling and sucking the blood off your cut finger. He bit his lip and looked at you, shifting from foot to foot for a moment before turning to the materials spread out across the bed and plucking the little bottle of blue liquid off the comforter and holding it out to you.

 

“Ah, Portia… told me you needed rest before she sent me up here. I prepared a sleep aid before I came. So… uh… you can take this, and um… let me bandage that finger,”

 

You looked down at your hand. The blood was already welling up from the cut, and the sheets of the bed looked expensive. You sighed and held it out to him. He smiled and poured the disinfectant out onto a little square of cotton, then he cleaned the little cut and wrapped it neatly in a thin layer of bandage, tying it neatly and gathering up his things. You look up at him and stifle a yawn. 

 

“Thank you,” You said, leaning back against the headrest and rubbing your tired eyes. “I appreciate your… understanding? And also your help,”

“My understanding?” He asked, tilting his head as he backed toward the door. You smiled.

 

“Yes, thanks for uh… not holding the doctor comment against me. I… I’m glad of it,”

 

“Oh, who said I wasn’t holding it against you?” The doctor teased, reaching for the door. You straightened up again, suddenly filled with urgency. 

 

“Wait!” 

 

The doctor froze, looking alarmed and worried. He started toward the bed. “What- is something wrong?”

 

“Yes! I didn’t ask your name!” You bark, staring up at him. He relaxed, running his hand through his hair and shaking his head. 

 

“You worried me!” He sighed. “I’m Julian- Doctor Julian Devorak,” He performed a flamboyant bow and then smiled at you. 

 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Doctor Julian Devorak,” You say, settling back against your pillows, “thank you for your help, and what understanding you choose to give me,”

 

Julian bowed his head again, and then left the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter: 
> 
> Darlin’, Houndmouth


	3. Pass Go, Collect A Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get into some trouble with our least favourite royal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Play On

You awoke to Portia setting another tray by your bedside with tea and toast on it. You sat up and frowned. You had managed to kick off your trousers during the night, but you were still in the awful collared shirt. It had twisted oddly, and you felt slightly strangled. 

 

“Ah, sorry to wake you. Are you… are you feeling better?”

 

“Yes, I just had to have a good sleep,” You say, stifling a yawn. Portia smiled.

 

“Julian couldn’t stop talking about you after he came back, you’re apparently a very intriguing patient,”

 

“Are you and Doctor Julian close?” You asked, sitting up and trying to yank your shirt back into place. Portia smiled. 

 

“Ah, you could say that,” She laughed, walking to the end of your bed and picking up a little white bundle that lay there. You look up at her, surprised. She smiled. “He is my brother, after all. Uh, on a separate note… The Count… he uh… he ordered us not to return your clothes to you… but uh… I thought you may be uncomfortable, so I asked Milady and she ordered these made for you,”

 

You looked at her, confused and surprised as she handed you a loose white cotton shirt with a hood and a pair of serviceable brown trousers. You gasped, holding them out. They were beautiful. You never wore white- the stains were too hard to get out- but looking at the new shirt made your heart skip. You looked back up at portia. 

 

“You… you did this?”

 

She smiled and shrugged. “Well… Milady did it. I just brought the issue to her attention,” 

 

“Well, thank you so much, Portia,” You said, pulling her into a tight hug. She smiled and flushed. 

 

“You’ll want to get changed,  _ Little Trickster _ ,” She teased when you let go, “the Count and Milady want to see you,”

 

You blinked at her, struggling with the knots of the shirt you’d been tied into. “Why, is it about the hood?”

 

Portia laughed, her face lighting up with it. “No! No. You’re a palace guest! You’ve been invited to brunch! And likely a stroll through the palace gardens, or something like that,” 

 

You sucked in a deep breath, then looked at the ground. “Alright then,” you sigh, struggling out of your shirt and pulling on the new one, then wiggling into the matching trousers, “I suppose I should get going then,”

 

“Have some tea first,” Portia said, offering you a cup, “you look tired,”

 

You laughed, but took it. “If you think I look tired now, just wait a few more days. A couple more shows on an empty stomach like last night’s and I’ll look more sleepless than your brother,” 

 

“I’m always telling him he needs to get some rest. You should tell him next time you run into him. He’s never listened to me,”

 

You smile as you hop around, pulling on your shoes and grabbing your bag. “Ah, I’ll do my best,” you said. You pulled the hood up over your head and peeked at Portia from under its edge. “Thank you again, Portia. I’m glad to have pulled a friend from this mess,”

 

Portia blushed and smiled down at the almost untouched breakfast tray. “Well, I’m glad to be a comfort,” She said. You square your shoulders.

 

“Well… best not to keep royalty waiting. Will you show me to where they’re eating?”

 

“Of course,” she said, striding toward the door and pulling it open. You shuffle out after her, following behind her as she navigated the complicated web of hallways. 

 

She showed you along to a large room, then handed off the tray she held and turned to you. She ruffled your hair, smiling as she did so. “There… that’s better,” She said. You just pulled your hood further forward to hide your face. She giggled. “You’re so shy!” She laughed. You offer her a nervous half-smile and inhaled deeply. 

 

“Okay… I’m ready,” You say, clearing your throat when your voice came out sounding odd. She nodded. 

 

“I’ll announce you then,” She said, ducking throuhg the door and speaking clearly. “The magician is here to join you, Your Majesties,”

 

“Let them in,” The Count’s voice snapped, sounding impatient. You frown and shuffle through the door. You can see him seated at a table, smaller than the one you had entertained in front of, but still a great deal larger than you’d find in any normal home. Beside him sat the stunning woman from the night before. Your eyes fixed on her, unwavering as you bowed. 

 

“Thank you for having me,” You say, voice still slightly raspy. She gave you a miniscule, indulgent smile.

 

“Sit down, Little Trickster,” The count snapped, indicating the only seat in front of the two of them. They sat farther from one another than you would have expected, but when you drew level with your chair and sat in it, you realised it was dead center between the two of them. You perched in it nervously, ducking your head to stare at your plate, and thankful that your hood was hiding your face. You knew you must have looked uncomfortable. 

 

“Remove your hood,” The count snapped as a plate of different fruits was placed in front of you. You feel your lip curl.  _ Still gettin under his skin…  _

 

“I do not wish to upset you, sire,” You say, raising your head so that he would be able to see your mouth as you spoke, “But that... I cannot do,”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I-”

 

“Understandable,” Cooed the woman. Your face twitches toward her, and you peer out at her. She was twirling her fork in her fingers and looking at you with a curious light in her eyes, “Your performance last night was… impressive. I have often found magic shows… lacking,” She said, “but what you did was… unprecedented,”

 

“Thank you,” You said, drawing your teacup toward yourself, but not taking a sip. “I… pride myself on my illusion work,”

 

“Your master taught you well. Asra, isn’t it?”

 

You inclined your head. “Yes, My Lady. Asra taught me everything I know,”

 

“He must be a powerful Magician,”

 

“He’s… the best,” You say quietly, resisting the urge to gush about him. He was gone so often… and you miss him so much when he leaves…

 

“Yes, well, that’s all well and good,” The Count snapped, sounding annoyed, “But let’s get back to the subject of the day, shall we?”

 

You eye his hands. They were clenched into fists on either side of his plate, his golden prosthetic glinting in the sunlight that the high windows let into the room. “The subject of the day, Sire?” You asked, trying your best to keep the laughter from your voice. The knuckles on his human hand whitened. 

 

“Yes, well, we were going for a ride today, and Nadia has decided that you’re to come,” He snapped. You smiled. 

 

“Horse riding, Sire?”

 

“Of course horse riding!” He snapped impatiently. You nodded and lifted an apple slice from your plate, finally looking up enough to meet his eyes.

 

“Ah, thank you. However, I have no desire to interfere with what may have been a lovely… romantic... outing in my absence…” you turned your eyes to meet Nadia’s, which were alight with interest upon seeing your face for the first time. You smiled at her. “I am grateful for the invitation, My Lady,”

 

Nadia shifted in her seat, leaning forward and resting her elbow on the table, her chin finding the back of her hand. “Of course, I don’t mean to press, but if you decline because you feel that you may be unwelcome, allow me to reassure you,” She smiled, her eyes growing hooded as she took in your features, “your presence is… very much desired. By both of us,” 

 

You cleared your throat, swallowing. This woman… “Well in that case,” You say, still focusing completely on her, “I would love to,”

 

She smiled, tilting her head and settling back into her seat. Her wedding ring caught the light. You let your gaze return to your plate, but you glanced up at the Count’s hands again. 

 

He’d bent the silver cutlery in his metal hand, which was still clenched in a tight fist. You bit you lip and took a sip of tea in an attempt to stop yourself from laughing. He seemed to be casting around for a way to return the focus of the table to him. You ate as quietly as you could, only speaking when asked something directly, keeping your head bowed to obscure your face, and watching the couple’s hands carefully. Nadia’s every movement was elegant, carefully thought out, decided. Lucio’s hands seemed… hesitant. Halting. He frequently clenched his fists as he shifted, usually before directing a barb at you. It never failed to make you smile. 

 

_ He really didn’t like you _ . 

 

Eventually they returned to their separate quarters to dress for the stables, and you were lead out by a servant to select a horse to ride. You settled on a friendly, obliging mare, barely fifteen hands high, with hair long and loose. You tried to assist the servants with tacking her up, but they nervously denied your help. Soon, Nadia entered the stable, Portia at her elbow. She winked at you when you met her eye, and you pulled your hood wider so she could clearly see the smile you shot back at her. A stable hand lead out a beautiful mare, elegant and tall. Nadia mounted her easily, pulling her hair over her shoulder and smiling down at you. 

 

“You’ve ridden before, haven’t you?”

 

You nod, knowing from her angle she wouldn’t see you smiling back. “Once,” You reply, “Asra took me, a long time ago,” 

 

You mount your horse, perhaps a little less gracefully than Nadia had, but you seated yourself firmly in the saddle and took the reins with confidence. You look up at Nadia. 

 

“Would you mind taking a turn around the paddock while we wait for The Count?” You ask, “I wouldn’t mind warming up a bit before setting off,”

 

“Of course,” Nadia agreed, starting off. You follow her, walking slowly. You strode side by side for a while, and eventually Nadia turned to you.

 

“You have been at the palace for less than a day and already all of its occupants are wild to know more of you. Even my husband seems… intrigued,” She said. You tensed, prepared for a jealous outburst, but it didn’t come. Instead, Nadia let out a laugh. “And I can’t conjure to mind the last time he was interested in anything but himself,” You looked up at her. She was smiling, looking down at you with those hooded eyes. “How do you do it?”

 

You shook your head. “I only try to play my part, My Lady,” You dip your head, letting your hood settle further down around your face. “If I’m causing trouble, I do not mean to,”

 

“Don’t you?” She asked, a warmth under her voice that you could have sworn was teasing. You looked at her hands and smiled.

 

“Is it difficult to believe?”

 

There was a clatter, and you both turned to look as Count Lucio rode out of the stables on a white stallion that seemed unable to stand steady. He flashed you both a dangerous look.

 

“If you two are done in the  _ paddock _ ,” He sneered, “We could actually go for our ride,”

 

You smiled. “Of course, Sire,” you said, waiting for Nadia’s horse to leave the paddock and then following, “We were only awaiting your arrival,” 

 

The Count scowled. “Well,” He said, “I’m here now,”

 

“I see that,” You reply under your breath. Nadia cleared her throat in a way that may have been hiding a laugh, and Lucio turned and squinted at you. There was an uneasy moment when you wondered if he would begin to shout, but then he swivelled back around and kicked his horse into a sudden canter. Nadia matched his gait, staying a small way behind him, and you followed, not wanting to be caught between the two more experienced riders. 

 

It was a few minutes before you noticed Lucio kept glancing back at you, causing his horse to waver on his path. You weren’t sure what he was shooting for until he urged his horse into a gallop, and you moved to match. You drew even with Nadia, and the increased speed caused your hood to fall back. You grit your teeth at the loss, and would have pulled it back had you been a more confident rider. You glanced up at Nadia, whose eyes were fixed on you. Her expression was… unreadable. Almost hungry. 

 

Lucio glanced back, and when he saw that your head was exposed, he smiled. You turned your face sharply to the side, feeling your cheeks grow a little warmer. You all slowed down, and your face heated even more at that. That he had been rushing all three of you just to try to force the hood back from your face was… humiliating wasn’t truly the right word, but the right word eluded you. 

 

He continued to lead you all to a garden filled with statues, most of which were either beasts or… him. He dismounted upon your arrival, and you followed suit, immediately turning to help Nadia from her horse. She smiled down at you, considerably taller than you were. You swallowed and smiled back, resisting the urge to pull your hood back into place with Lucio’s clawed hand within grabbing distance. 

 

When the two of you looked around, Lucio was scowling, his eyes fixed on you. You stepped back and lowered your gaze, wondering to yourself exactly how far you could push him until he ordered you imprisoned for life. He sneered and turned on his heel, striding off into the garden.

 

“Come along then,” He barked, beckoning them with his human hand. You allowed Nadia to go first, waiting to follow at her elbow.

 

When she realised you weren’t beside her, she turned, looking at you with a surprised expression. “What are you doing?” She asked, eyes wide. You blinked at her, willing yourself to remain unexpressive. 

 

“I assumed that you would want to walk beside your husband,” 

 

She smiled and fell back to your side, taking your arm. “The order of the day is to get to know you, dear,”

 

You swallow thickly. Your face was likely very flushed. You could feel it burning. You strode alongside Nadia through the garden. You’d always loved plantlife and held an appreciation for nature, but no work of art in that garden came close to Nadia’s beauty. After a few minutes of talking about the pieces he had commissioned and their costs, Lucio looked back to find the pair of you drawn close together. His face slackened. His jaw clenched. He fell silent, and you could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves as you finished the tour and helped Nadia back onto her horse. When you turned to untie your own horse, you found him standing in your way. You glanced over at Nadia, but she was distracted by a twist in her stirrup’s strap. 

 

You turned back and looked at Lucio’s face, the predatory look he sometimes wore intensified by his anger. You refused, however, to back down, even as your eyes flitted to his clawed metal hand. You were sure, in that moment, that you’d doomed yourself, but then he brushed past you, his human arm slamming against your shoulder as he walked to his own horse. 

 

You untied your horse with trembling fingers and got back into the saddle, pulling your hood back on and following the royals back to the palace. You made no attempts at conversation as you were swept back into the palace and bathed. Everything about it was dizzying. You felt breathless. 

 

Eventually, you found yourself back in your room, staring at the outfit that the Count had had made for you. It was so thin it was almost see through, a tangle of crossing black fabric across your torso and long strips of fabric that fastened around your wrists in place of sleeves. The legs weren’t any better, made of the same material and completely open from the ankle to the hip, the only thing preventing them from falling completely open was how far the layers of fabric overlapped at your hips. With every step you took, your leg would be revealed to the upper thigh. 

 

You pulled it on, struggling with the top half but eventually getting it on. You looked back at the bedspread, your heart in your throat. 

 

There was no extra fabric there. 

 

You took a deep breath and found your shoes again, pulling them on and thinking out what your performance would be. How you’d move your hands, how your feet would be angled. Eventually, the door opened, and you looked up, expecting Portia or the male servant…

 

But it wasn’t either of them.

 

It was the Count.

 

All the air left your lungs as he stepped inside your room and closed the door with a quiet click. You swallowed, then bowed quickly. 

 

“Sire,” you said, your voice sounding almost whiney in its breathlessness. The Count didn’t reply. You stood straight again, keeping your eyes fixed on his feet. They clicked closer to you, step by step, and you couldn’t help yourself.

 

As he approached, you fell back. With each step of his, you retreated, until your knees struck the armchair and you collapsed into it. He just kept walking forward until he was toe to toe with you, and then he leaned over you, his hands coming to clutch the arms of the chair, his face coming within an inch of yours. You could smell the wax he used on his hair, like oranges and honey, and something woodsy, like cedar oil, maybe from his shoes. You couldn’t keep his shoes in sight, so instead your eyes fell to your own lap. Your back was pressed against the back of the chair. You were pinned down by him. You pressed your hands against the insides of the chair’s arms. You couldn’t meet his eye, even if you wanted to. 

 

“You’re so strange,” He snarled, his warm breath washing over your own mouth, emphasising how close you were. “Slinking around under that hood of yours, hiding your face from me like that. Sneaky, sneaky little trickster,”

 

You didn’t reply. You kept your eyes on your lap. He laughed. You  _ felt _ him tilt his head.

 

“Oh, even now. Even practically naked, with no hood on, you’re still hiding. You’re playing your little game. You’re still playing tricks, aren’t you?” He reached up and grasped your chin, tilting it up toward him roughly. You forced your eyes shut, heart thudding so hard in your chest it was as though it was trying to break free of your ribs. “You’re playing your little part. This isn’t even you, is it? All shy, quiet, eyes down, mouth shut. Where are you in there, I wonder?” He cooed, tilting his head again, moving your face as he did it, “You play your little part, charming everyone you meet, giving them little glimpses of you in there, but never letting anyone see the whole picture,” He spat, squeezing your jaw a little too tight. You grit your teeth as he did it, resisting the urge to strike him with every ounce of resolve in your body. He kept going. “You know how I know? How I’m the only one not stupid enough to fall for your little game?”

 

He paused here. You could tell he wanted an answer.  _ You weren’t going to give it. _

 

After a tense moment, a moment where you could have sworn your heart would stop, that he would strike, that  _ something _ would happen, he spoke again. “Because,” He hissed, hesitating for another heartbeat before lunging forward, slamming both of his hands into the back of the armchair, knocking it back against the wall, tilting it so that you had no contact with the ground, and you yelped, involuntarily grasping at him for support, at his shirt, one of your hands scrabbling against his metal prosthetic, “Because you won’t look me in the eye,” He growled. Your eyes shot open, and you glared into his. There was a full five seconds where neither of you moved. It was just his face, barely and inch from yours as you kept your grip on his shirt and he pinned your chair back against the wall, his body slotted between your knees. The tension in his face seemed to slacken under your gaze, like an addict who had finally gotten a hit. You just kept looking, measuring his features, trying to read him. 

 

He let go and the chair slammed back onto all four of its legs, causing you to lurch forward. The Count caught you with a cold, golden hand on your chest, and then pushed you back to sit straight. You closed your eyes again, trying to calm yourself back down, but he tutted.

 

“Oh no, little trickster,” He growled, his hand sliding slowly up your throat, the fine points of his metal claws scraping against your throat, not hard enough to harm, but enough to be  _ felt _ . He tilted you head back up, and your eyes fluttered open, landing back on his face. He sneered. “I want those clever eyes of yours on  _ me _ ,” He cooed. You bit your lip.

 

He really was not a man you’d like to cross.

 

His human hand slid back around to the back of your head, and he grasped something there. You were forced upright as something beneath you began to shift. You bumped into him, the unpleasant feeling of cold metal pressing into your skin as all of his jewelry and adornments touched you. You looked behind you, and your gaze landed on the cape that he had left on your room yesterday. He had pulled it out from under you. You swallowed. He hummed in a satisfied way. 

 

“Has anyone ever scared you, little trickster?” He growled. You turned and fixed your eyes on his chest. He was too close. You had no control. It was overwhelming. “Has anyone ever pushed you around before?”

 

Your eyes snapped up to his face, and you broke. It was too much. You told yourself you’d have  _ strength.  _ Your face twisted into a snarl. “No,” You growled, pressing you hands flat against his sides and pushing him back. His face slackened. You’d surprised him. Thrown him off. “And you’re not the one who will,” You spat, glaring up into his face. He stumbled. His eyes were blown wide as you strode toward him, pointing a finger in his face. “You don’t get to play this game with  _ me _ ,” You snarl. “You don’t get to win,” 

 

The Count was staring down at you as though you were an alien of some kind. Like you were speaking a language he couldn’t comprehend. “I’m-”

 

“You’re nothing but lucky,” You spat, glaring at him, “Lucky that you wound up where you were, because if this world were a merit system, you’d be under my boot,”

 

The Count’s eyes shot wide, but you were too fired up to care that he’d likely have you killed for this. 

 

“You can’t push me around, because I’m not scared of you,”

 

The count swallowed, backing up again, and bumping into your bed. He glanced back at it, and you snarled again, pointing at the door. 

 

“Now get  _ out _ ,” You spat, “I need to get ready for the show,”

 

He swallowed again, looking you up and down, then he stood, seeming to gather himself as best he could, and scrambled out of your door, slamming it behind himself. 

 

When he left, you sank to the floor, hands shaking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:
> 
> Naive, The Kooks


	4. Fanning the Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our apprentice performs to two audiences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was || this close to having a very graphic sex scene but we’ll save it for later

You were standing outside of the room where you were to perform again, breathing deeply. You knew that last night’s exhaustion would be nothing compared to tonight’s, mostly due to what you were about to do before you entered. There was no way you were going to stand before the court in glorified underwear and perform parlour tricks. Not in a hundred years. So before the door opened, you moved both hands to the back of your neck, and drew them over your head as though you were pulling on a hood. 

 

It was an illusion, one you’d created to obscure your features. It gathered darkness around your head and face. It looked sinister, you knew, especially in the hollows of your eyes, which it darkened to the point where they were no longer visible at all. You drew it down your arms as well, just for the effect. It was a performance, after all. 

 

Then you swung the doors open and entered the hall, aware that you likely looked like a nightmare, like death herself. You looked straight at Count Lucio, and didn’t wait to be addressed before dimming the lights. 

 

You didn’t go for complete darkness this time. Only two thirds of the torches were extinguished as you folded yourself down, spreading your fingers, filling your lungs, watching the illusion of sparks begin to bloom at your fingertips. You glanced up at the Count and Countess, then brought your hands to your mouth, exhaling heavily and watching flames shoot forward from your hands, you turned, creating a ring of false fire that you stood in the center of. You looked back at the royals, and held out a hand. 

 

“A volunteer, if you please,” You called, stepping forward. One of them would stand, you knew one of them would, but which of them was brave enough to walk through fire to get to you, with you looking like a figure from hell? 

 

You smiled as Nadia stood. Lucio looked up at her, his eyes shooting wide as she trailed along the table, behind the courtiers, not breaking eye contact with you as she stepped down and walked toward the ring. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing the fire, and you smiled.

 

“It’s alright, My Lady,” You said, voice soft and a smile on your lips, “No spell I cast could ever harm you,”

 

Her back straightened at your words, and her eyes flashed. She stepped through the flames, causing the courtiers to gasp as they licked at her, but she didn’t catch light. She strode toward you, and took your outstretched hand. you smiled at her, and twirled her, casting so that sparks trailed from the hem of her dress and the ends of her hair until she was against you, smiling.  _ Okay Count Lucio, you want to see games, I’ll show you games. _

 

You let go of her hand, and, in both your palms, you gathered a little flame. You brought them forward, holding them between you and Nadia, cupping the flames like water in your hands. She looked at it, seemingly entranced, and you gestured for her to reach out and take it. She looked at you, surprised, and then reached out and let you pour the fire into her hand. You made it flicker, then move outward, shifting shape into a bud. You focused on it, causing it to bloom in her palm. She gasped, looking up at you. You smiled, then cast more sparks, causing them to rise from the ground and swirl upward, moving around you and Nadia in undulating, impossible patterns, then fading before they touched the high ceiling. You smiled, then cast out from your ring of fire, making the flames shoot out from the ring in spiralling patterns, so that you and Nadia were standing in the center of a maze of flames that you were both immune to. She looked around, then at the little flame in her hand, and she smiled.

 

“Truly impressive,” she said, her voice so quiet.l the court and her husband wouldn’t hear. You smiled back, drawing her closer.

 

“Wait for it,” You whispered, pulling her into your arms again, and then making the flower in her hand disperse into a hundred scattering petals, blowing in a nonexistent breeze, up over the courtiers heads. You made the flames around the two of you grow, over your heads, touching the ceiling as they roared, giving off the effect of being out of control. You could hear the gasps, and thought someone screamed over the sound of the flames. You smiled, and leaned forward, pressing your lips to the countess’ cheek. She looked at you with wide eyes, and raised her hand to cover the place where your lips had touched. 

 

“That was bold of you,” She said, her eyes sharp. You smiled. 

 

“Thank you,”

 

Then you turned, and walked from the room under the cover of the flames. as soon as the door closed, you lifted the illusion, leaning hard against the door. You waited, and smiled at the gasping and clapping that filled the room. 

 

“Oh good,” You said, lifting the glamour over your head and collapsing, “They liked it,” 

 

Portia was suddenly in your line of sight, and you smiled at her. 

 

“Portia! Ah, it’s good to see you. I would like a sandwich and some sleep right now, but I’m afraid that I can’t walk at the moment, is there any chance you could help me out?”

 

Portia looked up at someone you couldn’t see. “Get the doctor,” She snapped, “And someone go and get some food to the magicians room, You! Go get some food,” she snapped, pointing at a guard of all people. You smiled.

 

“No rush, no rush,” You coo, moving to press your face to the cool tile. Portia wouldn’t let your head dip, stubbornly pulling you to her and resting you in her lap. You squint up at her. “You have… the prettiest hair,” You say, head swimming at the way the light shone made a halo around her head. You bit you lip as your vision swam.

 

After a moment (you couldn’t tell how long), you heard hurried footsteps and the sweep of a long coat along the ground. Portia leaned back, and you felt yourself being lifted off the ground entirely. You blinked, trying to see, even as the smell of antiseptic and mugwort overwhelmed your senses. You smiled.

 

“Doctor Julian Devorak,” You laughed, blinking up into his sharp features, “Fancy seeing you here. Ah…” You grit your teeth as the world seemed to spin, gripping his shirt tightly, “Come here… often?”

 

He made an odd sound, and you could feel him striding off into the palace. “Now is no time for jokes. You’ve hurt yourself again with those silly tricks of yours,”

 

“Silly tricks?” You groan, trying to sound offended but only managing to sound exhausted, “You’re the one who leeches people and wears a big cape. One of us has a flair for the dramatic-“

 

“And the other has managed to drain themselves to the point of incoherence,” Julian snapped. You managed a weak smile.

 

“I think I’m  _ very  _ coherent,” You close your eyes and rest your sweaty forehead against Julian’s chest. “Ah, Doctor Julian Devorak… I think… I think I’m not well,”

 

“Are you trying to single handedly keep me in business?” He asked sharply. You smiled against his chest, not bothering to look up at him and set your head spinning again.

 

“Maybe…” You whisper. You squeeze your eyes tighter as the world seems to lurch. You can’t really hear, but you can tell from the rumble of his chest that he’s speaking. You bite your lip, hard, and the rumbling stops. There’s a moment’s pause, and you feel him bark something out… was it your name? 

 

Then again. You don’t want to worry him. “‘m alright, Doctor,” You breathe, unable to hear as you feel yourself hit a comfortable bed. Yours? You turn on your side and press your face into the pillow. “Just need sleep,”

 

Your hearing fades back in. There’s the sound of scrambling, more than one set of footsteps, then the slamming of the door. You open your eyes a crack, peering out at the room. You had to make sure the doctor was there. 

 

He was, bustling around and uncorking a bottle of cloudy dark liquid. He turned to you. “Can you drink this?”

 

You nod weakly, tilting your head as he supports you, and you gulp down the bitter fluid. You gasp once he takes the bottle from you, and you look up at him with eyes that refused to focus. 

 

“Please… Don’t leave,” You said. The doctor’s face softened.

 

“...I suppose that you should be under observation tonight,”

 

“Oh, definitely,” You laugh, peering up at him, “I need supervision in case I uh… try to cast more spells or something. Someone needs to be here to stop me,”

 

“And I suppose that someone should be me,” Julian said, smiling as he brushed your hair back from your forehead. 

 

“Well, you are a doctor… really there couldn’t be anyone better,”

 

He laughed and shook his head, his curly hair falling into his eyes. He cast around, his eyes landing on the armchair as he undid his cape. “I should settle in…”

 

You reached up and grasped him by his coat, pulling him forward, off balance. He braced himself on the bed, his lithe frame boxing you in. “Not the chair,” You say quietly, “Lay with me,”

 

His face flushed, and he swallowed nervously. “You want me in the bed with you?”

 

“Yes,” You said, pulling again, insistently on his coat, before easing up on your grip and letting your fingers find the silver buttons. You slowly undid them, and he watched your face as you did it, eventually pulling the coat open entirely to reveal his loose white shirt. You smiled. “You should get comfortable,” You whisper, pushing the coat down off his shoulders and casting it aside. 

 

“I… really shouldn’t,” He said, kicking his boots off and getting into bed, kneeling over you. You smiled.

 

“You’re just doing your duty as a doctor… Looking after my needs,” You tease, reaching up and playing with the collar of his shirt. He swallowed again, his eyes raking over your face.

 

“Ah… I uh… suppose so,” He said, his voice hoarse as you pulled his shirt up, slowly untucking it. He bit his lip and grasped your wrist gently, stopping you, “now, as a man…” he flashed you a wry smile, “I’m  _ thrilled _ with this particular turn of events, dear… but as a doctor, I’m afraid I do have to insist that you go to sleep,” 

 

You fell back against your pillow again, letting out a groan. “No fun,” you whined, squeezing one eye shut and fixing him with a sharp look. “but you will stay?”

 

He settled in next to you, and you made a weak attempt to pull the blankets up over him. He laughed and assisted, resting his head on his hand and taking you in again. You rolled onto your side and yawned.

 

“What was that you gave me? I’m not dizzy anymore,” 

 

“Ah, mostly just vitamins and herbs, I came up with it today when I realised that you’d likely exhaust yourself again. I’m glad that it helped,”

 

You reached out and pulled him against you, pressing your face to him. “Thank you,” You whispered, letting your eyes fall shut. He didn’t reply, but one of his hands came up and cradled your head softly. You hummed and squeezed him tighter, letting yourself drift off to sleep. 

 

At some point in the night, you felt him shift, and try to extract himself from your arms. You blinked awake, looking up at him. The moon, streaming through the windows of the room, was barely enough to see by. You could make out his silhouette, and his pale skin as he sat up. you caught his wrist before he could leave, and he twisted back to you, a small, shocked gasp escaping him.

 

“Don’t go,” You whispered, sitting up. You pulled him back, and he came, laying down beside you, brushing your hair back gently.

 

“You should sleep,” He whispered back. You shook your head.

 

“I feel better. I’d rather…” You reached up, tangling your fingers in his hair and shifting closer. “I’d rather do… a lot of things…”

 

You could barely make out his face, but you drew your other hand up to cup his cheek, drawing closer, almost touching, tilting your head so that all that was stopping you from kissing was a fraction of space. He bit his lip.

 

“This is… wildly unprofessional…” He said, his eyes falling to your lips and slowly finding their way to yours. You smiled. 

 

“You say that, but it really just feels as though you’re going above and beyond in patient care,”

 

“Mm,” He hummed, settling back into bed and brushing your hair back. “You… make it incredibly difficult to be a gentleman,”

 

“Who on earth is asking you to be a gentleman?” You asked, flashing him a smile. He sucked in a sharp breath.

 

“Oh… you can’t say things like that…” He cooed, his hand falling to your waist and his eyes dropping to your lips, “I’m not a good man, Trickster, I’m warning you now,”

 

“I beg to differ, Doctor Julian Devorak,” You whisper, inching ever closer, “You seem like the very best of men,” And you let your lips brush against his, feather light, so gentle that it barely felt like anything at all. You heard him hum, and suddenly he was pressed against you, his hand gripping your waist as the other cupped the back of your head, holding you tight as he moved his mouth against yours, his tongue tracing the seam of your lips. You parted them, letting him in, deepening the kiss.

 

Everything he did was like a question. Nervous, hesitant, shy. He was slow with his hands and gentle with his mouth to the point where you almost thought he was teasing you. After another moment, you broke the kiss, moving instead to his jaw, then his neck, before biting down. He let out a stifled little moan that shot through you like a magic spell, and you sucked a bruise into his neck. He bit his lip as you grasped his shoulder and pinned him to the bed, hovering over him with a playful smile on your lips. 

 

“Doctor, what was that?” You hissed, letting him go and trailing your fingers up to the place where blood was pooling beneath his skin, pressing down. He gave you a look of desperation. “You don’t have to be so gentle,” you whispered, bringing your hand up, carding your fingers through his hair, tugging at it gently as you pressed your lips to his neck again, “I’m not going to break,”

 

His breath stuttered, and he arched a little beneath you, but his hands came up and he parted you again. You frowned.

 

“What’s wrong?” You asked, settling down beside you. Julian paused for a moment, and in the half light you could see him close his eyes. 

 

“No, no, not wrong,” He said, his voice husky and low, “It’s just that if you keep going, I won’t be able to stop myself, and you need to rest,”

 

You flopped down and frowned at him, trying hard not to pout. “Fine. But please stay? If I’m not well enough for nocturnal activities then I definitely don’t think my observation period is over,” 

 

Julian turned back toward you and smiled. “You drive a hard bargain,” He hesitated again, and you saw his eyes flick over your face before settling on your lips again. “Do… Do the Count and Countess know what your performances do to you?”

 

Your frown deepened. “No,” You said quietly, “There’s no need to trouble them. It’ll only be a day or two more before they’re bored with me anyway,”

 

“Have they said that?”

 

“Said what?”

 

“That it would only be a day or two more?” Julian asked, looking concerned. Your brow furrowed and you shifted closer to him. 

 

“No, but when he picked me up the Count said it’d be a few days. They have to be growing tired of nightly magic shows by now, right? And having me around is probably not much more of a novelty than a juggler or a sword swallower,” You tilted your head, “they’re probably already brainstorming their next act,”

 

Julian pursed his lips. “I wouldn’t be so sure,”

 

“So sure of what?”

 

“So sure of your stay nearing its end. Even more so if what you’re banking on is the royals tiring of you,” Julian flashed you a hesitant smile. “I… I couldn’t imagine anyone growing bored with you around… I heard tell that you’re only an apprentice. Who’s your master? They must be proud,”

 

You smiled. He  _ was _ proud of you. The progress you had made hadn’t gone unnoticed by him. “His name is Asra,” you said quietly, the affection clear in your voice as you spoke his name. Julian, however, stiffened.

 

“Asra is your master?”

 

“You know him?” You asked, turning to face him. Julian cleared his throat, his long fingers coming up to brush against his adam’s apple. 

 

“Ah… A… A few years ago,” He said quietly, “Yes… I knew him,”

 

Curiosity burned in your chest, but you could tell Julian was uncomfortable. You didn’t pry. Instead you pressed yourself into his side and wrapped your arms around him again. He swallowed and looked down at you. 

 

“Are you… close?”

 

“Very,” You said, “But not the way that you’re thinking,”

 

“Ah,” He said, relaxing slightly. You rested your head on his chest. 

 

“Thank you for staying with me,” You whispered. his hands came up around you, and he hummed.

 

“Thank you for wanting me to. Now go to sleep,”

 

“Doctor’s orders,” You breathed, letting yourself drift off again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs: 
> 
> Reckless Tongue, Airways
> 
> Up To No Good, The Hoosiers


	5. Dragon’s Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apprentice gets into some trouble. What else is new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay the smut is like kinda borderline dubcon in this chapter because Lucio isn’t a nice guy just a heads up

When you awoke, you found the bed empty, and a note next to the cold food from the night before. You reached out and took it. 

 

_ I didn’t want anyone to see you with me. Thank you for last night. If I could sleep beside you forever, life would be bliss. _

 

_ -Julian _

 

You laughed. He was cute. Adorable, actually. You folded the note and tucked it into your bag. You groaned. The ties of the outfit you were in were digging hard into your sides. The door swung open, and you looked up. The male servant from your first day was there, holding a towel and looking nervous.

 

“Hey! How are you?” you asked, beaming at him. He shot you a nervous smile.

 

“I’m good, here to help you get ready,”

 

“Already? But it’s so early!” You turned and tapped the tie behind your neck. He helped you undo it and you struggled out of the thing, shrugging on the robe he’d brought you and turning. He was looking at you with a confused expression. “What?”

 

“It’s barely an hour until the luncheon,” He said, as though reminding you of something you shouldn’t have forgotten. You tilted your head.

 

“What do you mean, the luncheon?”

 

He blinked at you. “Um… the luncheon with all the court and some foreign dignitaries that you’ll be attending within an hour?” He said, “Did… did no one tell you?”

 

You gaped at him. “No,” You said sharply, “No, no one told me,”

 

“Well… I’ll brief you as much as I can, but you have to get bathed and ready,” He said, rushing you from the room and into the bath. You nervously listened as he explained that you were expected to attend a social event with various other guests, almost all of whom would be royalty. And that you were to entertain them at the end of the night. You felt your heart skip a beat. The court was one thing, but an audience of foreign dignitaries? Other royalty? You were in a daze as the man dressed you. You guessed that Nadia had had a hand in picking out your clothing, as it was comprised of tailored white trousers and a green and gold sleeveless tunic with a hood. The metal around the hood’s edge gave it weight and structure, allowing it to obscure your face even better while not impeding your vision. You smiled as you pulled it over yourself.

 

You turned to the servant. “I’m sorry, I never asked your name… would you mind?”

 

“Sidus,” He said, smiling at you. 

 

“Sidus, could you come with me to the hall? I… don’t want to walk there alone,”

 

“Of course,” He said, inclining his head. You smiled again and he lead you down to the hall. 

 

The doors were thrown open at your arrival, and to your dismay, every head turned curiously in your direction. There were dozens of people. 

 

And  _ all of them _ were looking at you with interest. You cast around the room, searching for a familiar face, when you heard someone call out to you. Sidus was no longer at your side. Instead, the Count swept up beside you, his golden claw encircling your upper arm as he pulled you into the room.

 

“Ah, let me all introduce you to our newest court Magician! They will be the entertainment tonight. I truly hope,” He bellowed, cheeks already flushed- he smelled like white wine- and he wrapped his arm around you, drawing you in close to his side, “that you all have a chance to exchange words with them… they truly are…” His voice dropped ever so slightly, knowing everyone in the room would strain to hear him, and he turned his face toward you, using his other hand to pull the edge of your hood back enough to show your burning cheek, “ _ Enchanting _ ,” 

 

He lurched away, leaving you standing in the center of the room alone, with every face turned to you in interest. Your hands were shaking. The performances… they were bad enough, but to be the center of attention in this way…

 

Hurried footsteps, the smell of jasmine, a slender hand at your waist. A musical voice close to your ear. “Ah… I’m glad to see you in the clothes I picked out for you… they suit you well,”

 

_ Nadia… _ “Thank you, my lady,” You whispered, voice hoarse as she swept you to a nearby table and offered you a small cucumber sandwich. You took it with trembling fingers. 

 

“I… apologise for my husband,” She whispered, her hand still inexplicably around your waist, “He… rarely behaves with decorum,”

 

You weren’t bold enough to reply, but you turned, looking up into her face. You didn’t allow your eyes to meet, but kept your gaze fastened to her lips. She smiled.

 

“Ah… if I could but have you all to myself, away from these prying eyes…” She whispered. Your breath hitched.  _ If someone overheard… _ All the same, there was a different kind of heat coursing through you as her grip tightened slightly and she brought another sandwich to your lips. 

 

You gave in and met her dark eyes as you leaned forward and took a bite. She smiled indulgently, setting it down and wiping the corner of your mouth with her thumb before placing it between her own lips. Your insides were molten lava. It must have shown on your face, because she smiled. 

 

“Ah… but duty beckons me… perhaps later,” she tilted your chin up slightly, “we may steal a moment together,”

 

You swallowed thickly, and she walked away. You pulled your hood further over your face again, and finished the sandwich. 

 

Courtiers and strangers alike crowded you from then on, asking you questions about your magic and what it was like to be a guest of the Count. You answered as efficiently as you could, insisting on being as unspecific as possible. eventually you made your way back to a corner, and stayed there as the milling court forgot you one by one. That was, until a hand found your elbow and a familiar voice caught your ear.

 

“Not exactly a social butterfly,” Julian whispered. You turned to him, eyes wide.

 

“You’re here!” You hissed in relief, looking up into his face. He shot you his most dashing smile. 

 

“Well, I am the court doctor. Not nearly as  _ enchanting _ a position as you, but… I have a place in events like these,”

 

You scowled at the jab, and crossed your arms. “Oh don’t repeat that nonsense,” You whispered, casting a glare out at the count as he relayed some story which positioned him as the hero to a crowd of snivelling royals. “He did it to make me uncomfortable,”

 

“Perceptive if you,” Julian said, lifting his glass to his lips, “What have you done to upset him?”

 

“I wear a hood and I suppose I don’t behave myself,” You snapped. Julian smiled again.

 

“I’ve noticed both of those things myself, actually. Particularly the misbehaviour…”

 

You shifted your hood to allow him a glimpse of your face and shot him a smirk. “You haven’t  _ seen _ misbehaviour yet, Doctor Julian Devorak,”

 

Julian lowered his glass again and gaped at you, his face flushing a little, before his face split into a smile and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Oho! Well maybe you should show me,”

 

You let your hood fall back into place, hiding your face again. “Maybe I will,”

 

Just then, music struck up, and servants immediately pulled the tables back against the walls. The Count led Nadia out into the center of the floor, with Nadia looking less than thrilled. They began to slow dance, keeping their distance from one another, keeping strictly to their steps like they were in a dancing class. You lifted your fingers to your mouth to obscure a smile. They truly did cut an elegant figure, but… they both looked like they wished the other were someone else. After a moment, a gloved hand came into your line of sight. 

 

“Well, what do you say?” Julian asked, grinning, “Should we get into some trouble?”

 

You smiled back and took his hand. “I’d love to,” You hissed.

 

He beamed and lead you out onto the floor, looking really eager for the first time. “Can’t let them have all the fun,” He whispered. once you were far enough in, he pulled you to him and laughed under his breath, “we should show them up a little,”

 

“Let’s,” You whispered back, and you both began to move. Julian was an excellent dancer, his movements were perfectly in tune to the music, and he was great at improvising when you misstepped.

 

You couldn’t help but grin. It was too much fun. And  _ maybe  _ the pair of you grew a… little risqué for the setting, pressing your bodies together a little too close… you’d been told more than once that the  _ Waltz _ was scandalous in court, but you couldn’t find it in you to care when Julian’s eyes lit up as you slid your leg between his as you turned. You were especially glad of your weighted hood as he twirled you, then pulled you back in, your bodies pressing close as the song played its closing notes. You and Julian stepped apart, and he smiled. 

 

“Another?” He mouthed, and you nodded, too breathless to brave a reply, but…

 

A slender hand found its place on your hip, and a smooth voice chimed behind you. “I hope you don’t mind if I cut in? Our little guest of honour will, I’m afraid, be busy tonight,” 

 

Julian shot upright and inclined his head. “Of course, my lady,” He said, meeting your eyes for a fleeting moment. “Until next time, witch,” He said, his hand lingering for a moment on yours before he excused himself. You turned to Nadia as she drew you closer, her eyes hooded.

 

“You dance well,” She said, “I wouldn’t have guessed that my shy little magician would know how,”

 

You flushed as the music started, and Nadia began to steer you. She was so in control, and there was an almost exhibitionist air to her, as though she wanted the room at large to see you with her. You swallowed.  _ What was with these people? _

 

“You seem… pensive,” She cooed, twirling you and drawing you back to her, her hooded eyes fixed on what she could see of your face. You bit your lip.

 

“Everyone is watching,” You whispered, “And… um…”  _ You’re married. You’re royalty. Your hand is a quarter of an inch from grabbing my ass in public…  _ “I’m not used to it,”

 

“You become accustomed to being watched,” She replies coolly, “Perhaps we should practice some time. I could watch that blush bloom across that cute little face of yours and you could grow used to someone seeing you in… compromising positions,” 

 

You stifled a pathetic noise in your throat at her words, and she tightened her grip on you, her hand coming up to adjust your hood slightly, allowing her to see your face, but still obscuring you from the room at large. You bit your lip and looked down at where your bodies were pressed together. Your legs were quickly turning to jelly. 

 

“I might even let you wear a hood at first, give you a little something to hide behind… but mostly I want to see your face, see you pressing it into my pillows as you make all those little sounds I know you would,”

 

Your face was on  _ fire _ . You couldn’t believe that she was saying all this in public, with her husband in the room. You cast a glance in his direction, and sure enough, his eyes were fixed on you, his expression seething. You swallowed, and ducked your head. 

 

Nadia had seen, however, and let out a breathy half-laugh. “Oh, him. Maybe he could watch too? Do you think we could make him? Would that help? It would be better practice, if there were more than one person watching you moan my name,” 

 

“M-my lady!” You hissed, fixing your eyes on the floor. You could feel how wet you were just from her words… what would she do to you with her hands? Her  _ mouth _ ?

 

She laughed again, and the song ended. He reluctantly released you, catching your eyes again and smiling. “We really  _ must _ find privacy soon,” She said, sounding so prim, as though she hadn’t just hissed sex into your ear. You bit your lip and looked down at the ground again. 

 

Some courtier asked you to dance a moment later, and it was three more songs before you could escape again. Some foreign princess was getting a little too handsy. You tucked into a corner, casting an eye around for Julian, but he seemed absorbed in telling a thrilling story to notice you trying to catch his eye. You were debating moving over to join the little crowd he had drawn when a vice grip closed around your arm and you were yanked through a hidden door and into a dark room.

 

You struggled for a moment as the door slammed shut, you heart threatening to leave your chest, when you struck out and your fist hit cold, hard metal. You froze. The Count had yanked you into… a broom closet? 

 

You stilled, and produced a tiny ball of light that you sent hovering over your heads. The Count was glowering at you, something like hatred in his eyes. You swallowed, looking around nervously.

 

“Sire?” You finally asked, your voice hoarse. The Count just kept glaring at you. You looked around again and made to edge sideways, closer to the door, but he slammed his hands to the wall either side of you and snarled.

 

“Not trying to run away from me, are you, little trickster?” He growled. You shrank against the wall, lowering your face and letting your hood obscure him entirely.

 

“No, Sire…” you whisper, your hands curling into fists as you try to seem small and unassuming. you cringe as you hear claws scraping against the wall. He’d curled his hand into a fist. You felt a heart attack impending. He was going to kill you. 

 

“ _No sire, never sire, I wouldn’t…_ ” He whined, mocking you. You bit your tongue. He growled again. “What are you doing?” He snapped.

 

“I don’t know what you mean,  _ Sire,” _ You reply, gritting your teeth.  _ Just do it. Just hit me. _

 

“You’re still doing it. You’re still playing your little game. You’re letting everyone think you’re some quiet, shy little mouse when we both know you’re not,” He snarled, inching closer. He reached forward with his human hand and ripped your hood back from your face. You gasped, but didn’t look up. 

 

“Sire-“

 

He punched the wall and you flinched, shying away from it but only ending up pressed against the cold metal of his other arm, The claw behind your head as you kept your eyes fixed on your shoes. “Say my fucking  _ name! _ ” He spat, furious, “I wanna hear it. I want to hear your mouth around me,”

 

You whimpered, your legs shaking, but you closed your eyes and murmured it. “L-L-Lucio…”

 

He groaned when it left your lips and suddenly he was pressed against you, his hands on your hips, his face so close to yours… “Look at me and say it again,” He breathed. Your face turned bright red, and your eyes shot wide, but you didn’t look at him. You were too shocked. After a second his grip on your hips tightened and he pressed against you harder. You could feel him against your stomach, hard and insistent. You melted slightly despite yourself. “Say my name, little trickster. Look at me and say my name. Say it like you want me. You…” He made a whiny, huffing sound, and pressed his forehead against the wall just above your head, “You  _ have _ to want me…” 

 

You bit your lip. His hands tightened even further, becoming bruising against your skin. He ground forward, slightly, like he couldn’t help himself, and you gasped, unable to help the needy edge behind it. He froze, every muscle in his body seemed as tense as a bow string, drawn tight before an arrow flew…

 

“You’ve spent all night grinding on peasants and trying so hard to bury your head between my wife’s thighs,” He growled, or he tried to growl, because it came out whiny and desperate, “And barely even glanced my way as you pranced around, hissing in doctor’s ears and hiding your face beneath that damn hood so that I can’t see you… Hiding, hiding… Hiding from everyone, not letting anyone know what’s going on in that head of yours, and all the time I know underneath it all are those damn eyes and your neck and those  _ lips… Gods… _ and you  _ know _ it. You know what you’re doing,” He pressed his face into your hair and let his hands roam over your body, “You know you’re  _ irresistible.  _ You know it… You… You…” He moaned, low and filthy and needy in your ear, sending shivers down your spine, “Look at me. Say my name and look at me,” 

 

You pressed him back, and he parted from you easily. Your eyes found his and you tilted your head. “Lucio,” You whispered, your voice raw and low and lewd even to your own ears as you dragged out the sound of it. The tension in him snapped. He was against you again, his metal arm hoisting you up, supporting you as his other gripped your waist tightly. He smashed his mouth to yours and he tasted like wine, and it was wrong, because he was drunk and you were not and he was married and you didn’t even  _ like _ him, but he ground against you and you let out a little whimper. He moaned back, his whole chest and throat rumbling with it as your hands gripped his shoulders. He began kissing his way down your jaw, down your throat, pressing his face against your collarbone and trying desperately to catch his breath. 

 

“Say it again,” He hissed, his tone almost begging. You closed your eyes. You knew it was a bad idea. You knew it was wrong… so wrong… but one after another they had played with you and you had so much need in the pit of your stomach…

 

“Lucio…” You whispered. He jolted, he moaned again, his hips pressing against you, and you felt him twitch. For a moment, you thought he might cum then and there in his trousers. The idea was enticing, it made you feel powerful, but there was a sound just outside the door and you started, even as the Count pressed his lips to your neck again. 

 

“Trickster, let me have you…” He hissed, his free hand flying to where your trousers were buttoned and deftly undoing them. His hand slid in and he let out a whine when he felt how wet you were, instantly coating his fingers as he slid them into your underwear. You pressed against his shoulders, and he leaned back, frowning. 

 

“There are people on the other side of the door,” You whispered. His fingers twitched against you and you gasped, hips moving instinctively in reply. He scowled.

 

“So?” He asked, voice seeming deafening after your barely there whisper. You cringed.

 

“Someone could hear, Sire…” You hissed. Lucio’s face darkened, and he slid two fingers inside you without warning. You bucked, one of your hands flying to your mouth to stifle you. He tilted his head.

 

“Why should I care if anyone hears?” He asked sharply. You looked up at him with wide eyes. He rammed his fingers deeper inside of you and curled them cruelly, making you gasp. You bit your hand in an attempt to keep quiet. He kept his same, predatory expression. “Why, I’m really doing the decent thing here. Fucking you in a damn broom closet to save you the embarrassment of letting everyone know how you look like this,” He crooked his fingers again, and you arched, head grinding against the stone wall. He smirked. “If I wanted to I could take you out there, bend you over a table, and fuck you like that. Who could stop me? Maybe I should…” He cooed, pressing his lips to your ear and growling into it, “maybe I should, just to show all of those simpering fools who you really belong to,”

 

You bit your hand harder and squeezed your eyes shut as he placed his thumb over your clit, circling it until you came, squeezing tightly around his fingers. He grinned as you did, his eyes growing hooded and his fingers rocking into you. You gasped, scrabbling at him for purchase, your eyes squeezing shut. You tried desperately to catch your breath as quietly as possible. Then you looked down at the place where Lucio’s hand was shoved into your trousers. You bit your lip. 

 

“Mm,” He hummed, extricating his hand from you and holding it in front of your face, “Clean it,”

 

You gaped at him, eyes wide, but he brought his hand closer to your face still and raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Go on. You wanted to taste my wife so badly. Why don’t you go ahead and practice?”

 

You blink, but let your mouth fall open, and suck your own slick from his fingers. He smiled as he watched you do it, like he was winning a prize. Once you were done, he slid his hand back, playing with your bottom lip as he did. 

 

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to keep you…”

 

There was another noise outside of the door, louder this time, and you started. Lucio scowled, looking very much like a child who’d been told to put his toys away. He looked back at you and dropped you unceremoniously on the ground. You stifled a yelp and got up, quickly buttoning your trousers back up and glaring at him as you got to your feet. He sneered.

 

“Oh no need to pout, Trickster. I’ll give you the rest later,”

 

A chill went down your spine. The promise of more of what had just happened was both enticing and… scary… no, not scary… thrilling. You frowned at him and drew your hood back up, leaning against the wall and crossing your arms. “You leave first. You’ll be missed before I will be,” You reply coolly, “my performance will be soon anyway. I can pass off my absence as preparations,”

 

He frowned again. “I wasn’t joking about not caring if people knew that I was fucking you,” He said, sounding almost defensive. You shifted your hood so that he could see your mouth and smirked.

 

“You weren’t fucking me, Sire,” You whispered, “You only got your fingers wet,”

 

Lucio looked ready to pin you to the wall again, but there was another noise, and he growled under his breath. 

 

“We’ll see about that,” He snapped, reaching for the door, “You…  _ You, _ ” 

You let your hood fall back into place as he left the broom closet, and you were left with your thoughts. 

 

You let time pass by, thinking of Julian. Of Nadia. Of a thousand people you’d rather have had that moment with.

 

Asra’s smile snuck into your mind, but you pushed the thought away. Your master spent more time away than with you. He didn’t want that. You sighed and pressed your ear to the door, checking that no one was just outside of it, and then you slipped back into the room. 

 

You had something special planned.

 

You waved your hand and all the torches went out. You used your magic to illuminate the grout between the marble tiles of the floor as you strode out onto it. Then, when in the center, you stood.

 

“Ladies, Gentleman, Friends,” You said, drawing your hands in front of you, “Tonight, I would like to show you a glimpse of a creature you have never seen before,”

 

You hoped Julian was watching. You hoped he appreciated your attempt at drama. You held up your hand. 

 

From the corner of the high ceiling, a massive dragon entered, comprised of a more solid, realistic light than your usual bioluminescent imitation, its scales shifting colours from blue to green and back as it slunk down a wall and toward you. The guests gasped and parted as the dragon loomed over you, wings folded, and curled its tail around your frame. You reached out, and it pressed its nose to your outstretched hand. 

 

You moved you arms upward quickly, and it reared up, breathing fire over the crowd, and by the light of the flames you looked around. Your eyes caught Julian’s. He looked… apprehensive. You smiled at him, and then the dragon fell back around you, snarling at the audience. The next part was tricky: you had to do it right.

 

You ran up the dragon’s back, careful to make the illusion solid only where you needed it, or else you’d exhaust your energy too quickly. You came to stand between its wings, which it stretched out as you spread your arms wide, and you launched yourself and the illusion into the air. Up, up, up you flew, higher and higher toward the ceiling, until the dragon disappeared through it, letting you fall rapidly toward the floor. The audience gasped, a few people screamed as you turned, diving head first toward solid ground, reaching out with one hand as you made to land-

 

And you caught yourself, upside down on the tips of your fingers- or at least seeming to. You’d really cast an invisible rope with your other hand and fastened it to the ceiling as your dragon had burst through it… but you weren’t going to tell anyone that.

 

You twisted, slowly twirling and landing lightly on your feet. You held out your hands, releasing a seal on your left forearm, and summoning a cloud of little spheres of light, letting them float across the room like snow falling. You smiled as you allowed the room to grow brighter with them, and then turned, grasping your invisible rope again and swinging from it, appearing to glide across the ground easily. More light, and you turned upside down again, swinging back faster, like a pendulum, and twirling as you did. You reached out, the movement you were causing in the air making the balls of light swirl around you madly. eventually swinging toward Nadia, who reached out. She caught your wrist, and you flipped, planting a foot firmly on the ground so you didn’t pull her off her feet, and she smiled. You were painfully aware of the entire room watching, especially the Count, and she pressed her lips to your cheek.

 

“Ah,” You whisper, smiling at her but tipping your head downward to hide your face, “Bold of you,” 

 

“Perhaps,” She murmured back, letting you go, you leapt up, swinging back, and releasing the rope. You fell through the air again, this time landing hard on your feet, and then left through the door, waving your hand to light the torches again as you left. 

 

You staggered, then collapsed against the wall, hands shaking as the guards moved to support you. You laughed weakly. “Ah, no applause this time,” You sighed, listening carefully, “I hate to disappoint,”

 

The door opened again, and Julian was there, looking tense. He grasped you and heaved you over his shoulder, striding off without a word to anyone at all. You grunted unflatteringly as you weakly grasped at his white shirt.

 

“Doctor-“ You started, but he just hissed.

 

“Don’t.” He snapped. Was he angry? Your stomach felt icy. Maybe he knew about what you’d done in the broom closet. Maybe he was going to scold you for leading him to believe you were someone you obviously aren’t. 

 

You stayed silent and shaky until Julian set you on your bed, sitting up, and drew out a bottle from his pocket. He scowled at you as he uncorked it and tilted it to your mouth. You met his eyes, dragging your hood off as you did so.

 

Once you’d drunk all he offered you, he threw his cape and coat aside and fixed you with a steely glare. 

 

“You  _ show off _ ,” he snapped, striding off across the room and beginning to pace as you collapsed into bed. 

 

“What?” you asked weakly. He turned to you and gesticulated wildly. 

 

“You go and hurt yourself to entertain them when HALF of that effort would still have been the best show they'd ever seen!” He shouted, looking furious. You gaped at him. “I didn’t know you were doing things like that! No wonder you’re exhausted-  _ pulling stunts _ \- When you fell… How dare you! I thought something had gone wrong, I thought you were going to get hurt-“

 

“Doctor-“

 

“You could have gotten hurt! I know magic isn’t fool proof! You’re just an apprentice! What if something had gone wrong? All for Lucio and his damnable court! For entertainment!”

 

“ _ Julian!”  _ You barked, and he turned to you, looking wild with worry and anger. You smiled. “Come here,” You said, beckoning. He frowned, reaching down and pulling your shoes off, tossing them aside. He wouldn’t meet your eyes as he did it, but he leaned over you, boxing you in. It was nothing like being pinned against the wall by Lucio. You didn’t feel jittery and nervous. You felt… warm. Content. You reached up and planted a kiss to the corner of his mouth, smiling gently at him as you flopped back into the comforter. 

 

“Don’t ever do that again,” He whispered, finally meeting your eyes. You pulled at his shirt. 

 

“I won’t. I think today was the last day. My entertainment career is over. I get to go home, back to my shop, reading cards for strangers and selling herbs for home remedies,” You smiled. “You’ll have to come visit me. I don’t know who your supplier is for dragon’s blood and wormwood, but I doubt they’re as good as mine,”

 

“I… suppose I’ll have to come and see for myself,” He said, moving like he was going to get up. You grabbed him, trying to pull him down next to you, but all your strength was gone. You pouted.

 

“Don’t go, Julian. Lay with me,”

 

“Last night it seemed as though having me in your bed did nothing but distract you,” 

 

“I think I sleep better with a warm body by my side,” You quip, pulling on his collar, “If I boss you around, if I tell you you have to, if I stop asking and start telling… would you stay then?”

 

Julian hung his head, closing his eyes, and he toes his boots off, crawling into bed and pulling you beside him. You smiled, wrapping your arms around him and pressing your face into his neck. He cradled your head gently, taking a deep breath and biting his lip.

 

“Is this a spell? Did you do something to me? Is that why I can’t say no to you?”

 

You smiled and pressed your lips lazily to his neck, moving down toward his collarbone and then biting down. He hummed, his grip on your hair growing a little tighter. “I take offence to that,” You hissed, unbuckling his shirt and sliding your hand against his skin.

 

He shot you a look and smiled. “Ah, but you didn’t say no. Tell me the truth. I’m under a spell aren’t I? You’ve bewitched me,”

 

“I would never,” You said.

 

“I’m not convinced,” Julian cooed, brushing your hair back, “This isn’t a normal kind of a feeling,”

 

You smiled weakly at him, squeezing one eye shut. “You’d know if you were under a spell. You can feel magic,”

 

“Oh?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow. You bit your lip. Magical exhaustion aside, you could likely perform one or two more tricks before there was a problem. 

 

You used a warming spell on your hand at his waist, and let your magic wash over him. He stiffened, his eyes fluttering shut. A little groan escaped his lips as you ran your hot hand up his side, and you bit your lip at the sight. You could feel his heart thudding in his chest. You took a shaky breath and rested your forehead against him, clenching your other hand in his shirt as you squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to stop the room from spinning. 

 

You felt his hand grip your wrist and pull if from his chest. You leaned back, looking up at his face and frowning. “What’s-“

 

“You should  _ not _ be doing more magic. Stop it,”

 

“Now  _ you’re  _ the one being bossy,” You said, falling to your back and pouting. Julian sighed.

 

“Well apparently you can’t manage to behave yourself long enough to fall asleep,”

 

“Where’s the fun in behaving-“ But you yawned violently before you could finish your sentence, flushing as Julian smiled down at you.

 

“Sleep,” He said, reaching over you and sniffing the candle out with his fingers, “Or I’ll make you take a sleep aid and then you’ll really have to behave yourself,”

 

You tucked tightly into his side, resting your head on his arm and smiling up at him.

 

“Okay, but you have to stay until morning this time,”

 

“That’s a deal,” Julian whispered, planting a kiss to your temple and pulling the blanket further over you. You let you eyes fall closed.

 

“Good,” you muttered, half incoherent with exhaustion, “I’ll hold you to it,”

 

“Hold me to anything you like once you’re all rested up,” He hissed back, and you let out a little laugh before drifting off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Beloved, mansionz 
> 
> Run Wild, Jon Bellion


	6. Oops Apprentice Did It Again... And Again... And Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apprentice manages to get themselves into.... a lot of trouble...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is pure smut. Just absolutely shameless bad smut

You awoke to Julian softly breathing beside you, the morning sunlight streaming through your window and the sound of birds outside singing. You smiled and pressed your lips to Julian’s forehead gently. He blinked awake, looking around and then back at you, surprised.

 

“Mornin’,” You cooed, pulling him against you and smiling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, blinking the sleep from his eyes and still looking a little bewildered. 

 

“Oh, what time is it?” He asked, brushing his hair back and looking down at you. You shrugged.

 

“Who cares?” You squeezed him for a moment and bit your lip. “Unless you need to be somewhere today?”

 

“No, no,” He said, settling back in and smiling, “I’m entirely at your disposal,”

 

You grinned and then pecked him gently on the lips, running your fingers teasingly up his side. He hummed and stretched. “I like the sound of that,”

 

“My disposal?” He laughed, looking down at you.

 

“No,” You giggled, “Having you… just you in general, actually,”

 

“Huh?” He asked. You blinked up at him.

 

“I like you, Julian,” You said, “I like you a lot,”

 

Julian turned bright red, and looked away, his hands coming up to your shoulders and rubbing them lightly. “Ah,” He bit his lip. You laughed, pressing your face into his chest again and sighing happily. 

 

“You have to come to the shop once I leave here,” You said, “we can do this all day. Only get up when someone comes in. Grab food on our way back up. Just… waste the day…”

 

“I think I could waste… every day like that…”Julian said, even his ears were bright red, “But I don’t know that waste is the right word…”

 

You smiled and tugged at the comforter. “Our bed isn’t as comfortable or fancy as this one…” You said. Julian stroked your hair absentmindedly.

 

“Any bed with you in it is the most comfortable bed in the world,” He said softly. You beamed, but then he turned toward you, looking surprised. 

 

“Wait, what do you mean when you say ‘Our’ bed?”

 

“Mine and Asra’s bed,” You said. Julian’s eyebrows shot upward, and you rolled your eyes. “We share a bed, but only because he’s only home a couple nights a month. He’s never around,”

 

“Do you… have an arrangement?”

 

“I sleep on the right side, and that’s it,” You said, frowning, “It’s really not like that,”

 

Julian shook his head. You scowled.

 

“You think I’m lying?” You snapped. Julian shook his head again.

 

“No! No. I’m just having trouble understanding how anyone could have you laying at home in bed and only come back a few times a month,” He said, “And how on earth that witch lays in bed beside…  _ you _ … all of you, every glorious inch, and the fool ever lets you out of his sight at all, let alone keeping his hands to himself,”

 

You raised your eyebrows. “Do you have trouble keeping your hands to yourself with me around?” You asked, smiling. Julian flushed again, slipping his hands from your shoulders down to your waist.

 

“Oh, so  _ very _ much trouble…” He said, pulling you up for another kiss, a proper one, instantly deep and needy. You hum happily, curling over him and straddling his lap. He pulled the comforter up over you, using it to pull you closer. He kissed his way down your neck, eventually sucking a pair of small bruises into your skin. You keene’s as he did it, legs trembling as his hands slid under your tunic. 

 

“I suppose it’s a good thing you don’t have to,” you breathed, smiling as his hands took hold of your hips, “Keep your hands to yourself, that is,”

 

Just as you began to grind against him the door opened, and you turned around instinctively yanking the comforter up over your head like a hood. Sidus stood there, eyes wide when he saw you straddling Julian.

 

“Ah, uh, Magician? The Count would like to see you in… in the second dining hall…” He said, his face turning almost as red as Julian’s, “It… It seemed urgent,” He added, shifting awkwardly. You swore, turning to Julian and kissing his forehead. 

 

“I thought he’d wait until lunch at least to dismiss me. Ah, looks like you’ll be visiting me even sooner than we thought!” you said, throwing the comforter off and scrambling back into your shoes. You felt uncomfortable in last night's clothes, and you smelled like sex and sweat, but you didn’t need to win grooming awards to get fired. You smiled at the idea as you stood and grabbed your bag. You looked over your shoulder at Julian and smiled brightly. “See you soon, Doctor,”

 

Julian sat up, looking apprehensive again, but you followed Sidus from the room and toward the second dining hall. You couldn’t help the bounce in your step as you went along. 

 

Eventually you came to the doors and pushed one open, entering the room, expecting Nadia and Lucio to be there looking stern and unhappy over breakfast, but instead…

 

“Took you long enough, trickster. Shut that door behind you,” Lucio snapped, tossing an apple in the air and catching it with his golden hand. You frowned and closed the door. He wasn’t looking at you any differently. Maybe he didn’t remember the night before. He had been drinking, after all. You let yourself hope.

 

“Good morning, Sire, you wanted to see me?” You asked, gripping the strap of your bag and frowning under your hood. Lucio looked… happy about something. 

 

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Lucio offered eagerly. You scowled, remembering what had happened in your room, and shook your head.

 

“No thank you, Sire. There’s no point. I’m sure you’d rather get straight to the point,” You said, eager to cut to where he fired you and sent you walking home. Lucio looked taken aback.

 

“Oh, well… that’s more forward than I was expecting…” 

 

“ _ Forward? _ ”

 

You stared at one another for a moment in confusion, and Lucio shook his head, leaning against the table and fixing you with a sharp look. 

 

“Yes, well, Nadia is out today, showing the dignitaries more of the city. They’ll be back again tonight, and I need to go to the market to pick out a few new barrels of wine for tonight, so I expect you to come with me,”

 

You frowned, tilting your head. “Why me?”

 

Lucio blinked, and then cast around, bewildered. “Why you?  _ Why you _ ? What kind of question is that when half this city would kill to be in your shoes?”

 

“It’s the question I asked. Why me?”

 

Lucio faltered. His bluster faded. For a moment, you thought he was going to be earnest. Truthful. Tell you he was bored and lonely. But he didn’t. He inhaled deeply and crossed his arms, squeezing the apple in his metallic hand until it burst. “Are you coming or not?”

 

“You didn’t phrase it like a question,” 

 

“Well I couldn’t fathom the possibility of someone like you saying no to an opportunity like this. But apparently that’s a possibility, for some reason,”

 

You sighed. You supposed, if he was lonely, you weren’t going to get fired until that night, and going to the market would be better than sitting alone in your room all day, as Julian had definitely left by now. “I’ll come,”

 

Lucio smiled his predatory smile and waved a hand in the air. “Oh good, you are capable of rationality. Go and bathe and get ready, I’ll meet you at the carriage in forty five minutes,”

 

You scowled and made to leave, but a sticky, cold hand around your wrist stopped you. You didn’t turn. He remembered after all. The air was tense. “Say my name again, little trickster,” He whispered, drawing closer, his human hand coming up to the bare skin of your shoulder. You bit your lip. Not only did he remember the night before, but was he being… tender?  _ This just got much more complicated. _

 

“My Lord-“ you started, but his grip on your wrist tightened and he turned you, pressing you up against the door, his eyes boring into you. You tilted your head down, letting your hood obscure your face entirely.

 

“Say it…” He whispered, pressing up against you, slotting his leg between your thighs, his human hand bracing flat against the wood of the door. “Please…”

 

“Not now, Sire…” You whispered, “Now isn’t the time-“

 

“Please?” He explored, “it kept me up, thinking of the way it sounded from your lips, the way those eyes of yours looked… I want to hear it sober. I want to commit it to memory,” You inhaled deeply. It wasn’t about you. You knew none of it was actually about you. It was about your attention. The game you’d chosen to play. You’d spotted his need too early, teased him too much. He needed attention, and you’d withheld yours. Now it was something valuable, coveted, rare. You’d made yourself into a prize to be won, entirely by accident.

 

“No,” You said, unsure whether you were ending the game or prolonging it, “I need to go and get ready,” You nudged him back and reached for the door handle. His grip on your wrist was bruising for a second, and he pressed his forehead to the door, looking anguished. 

 

“What is this?” He asked, looking down at you. You shrugged.

 

“Seems a lot like indigestion,” you replied, “I’ll see you in a few,” You pushed him back and left the room, feeling jittery. You hadn’t expected any of that. 

 

You slipped into the bathroom without anyone’s help, and drew your own bath. You sighed as you slipped into the water, glad to be alone as you scrubbed your hair. 

 

You dried off and went back to your room. It was empty, and there was no trace of Julian. You shouldn’t have expected another note. You’d told him you were leaving, after all. Still, disappointment bubbled in your chest as you pulled on your white, hooded shirt and brown trousers. Someone had washed them, and you were glad to set aside the fancier clothes.

 

Once you were dressed, you threw your bag over your shoulder and rushed down to the carriage. Lucio was waiting, looking impatient despite the fact you were nearly ten minutes early. You clambered into the carriage without a word and sat looking out of the window.

 

Lucio’s gaze was fixed on you, but you just kept your hood pulled low and your eyes on the window. You chewed the inside of your cheek as you trundled along, and made no effort at conversation. Lucio seemed absorbed in his own thoughts. The silence was… less uncomfortable than you would have expected, but still fairly unpleasant. It was peaceful, in a twisted way.

 

Until, of course, Lucio ruined it. 

 

“Look at me,”

 

“No,” You replied, peering out at an interesting birch tree, it’s bark curling off in thin scrolls.  _ Good kindling… _

 

“Look at me, Trickster,”

 

“Why do you think you get everything you want?” You asked, still eyeing the forest carefully. Lucio sneered. 

 

“Because I should, and I do,”

 

“Well… now you don’t,” You said calmly. There was one heartbeat, and then he shifted uncomfortably, his knees coming together slightly as he leaned forward, looking uncomfortable. You smiled.  _ That easy, huh? _

 

The rest of the ride was silent. He seemed to be stewing in your reply. You remained cold, impassive. It would be good to be dismissed on this note. To leave him with his strange attraction to indifference. 

 

When you got to the market, you left the carriage without saying a word to him. He waited a moment, and then followed. You smiled at the people you knew as you passed, allowing distance to grow between Lucio and yourself as vendors told you about new stock they’d gotten in and little urchins tugged at your sleeve, asking you if you had the butterflies in your pockets today. You laughed, and nodded, summoning a few and making it look as though you pulled them from your sleeves. The children squealed with delight, and you grinned as they ran off, chasing the lights. When you looked up, you noticed the Count, watching you with a hungry expression. You flushed and pulled your hood down, striding back to his side.

 

“Are…” He started, but his voice came out husky and low. He cleared his throat, looking away and gathering himself again, returning to his snappish tone. “Are you quite done playing with strays?” He spat, crossing his arms. You smirked. 

 

“Your wine won’t run away, Count,” You said calmly, “Though I wouldn’t blame it,” You added under your breath, continuing down to where you knew the winery was. He followed, his face looking a half shade more red than it had before.

 

When you got there, you sat down on a stool in the corner as Lucio began his antics. The wine vendor seemed used to him, pliant and offering the Count trials of the wines he thought that he would like. You took a lemongrass charm from your bag and began working on it, twisting your wrist as you curled the grass around itself, weaving it into the shape you wanted. 

 

You drifted off, thinking about when Asra had first taught you to weave grasses. His vessels were so tight that they could hold powdered guar gum. You never could get yours that tight, but Asra always told you you only needed practice. 

 

You were smiling to yourself when a small glass bumped your cheek, cold and wet with condensation. You jumped and looked up. Lucio was offering you a little glass of wine. You frowned.

 

“What?” You asked. Lucio let out a sigh of frustration and pushed the glass further toward you.

 

“Try it,” He snapped.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because you obviously know nothing about good wine, and I want to get wines that even an uncivilised commoner would know are high quality,”

 

You took the glass and shook your head. “What a weird way to say you want my opinion,” you hissed, raising the glass to your lips and taking a sip. It was dry, and delicate, with a floral undertone you couldn’t place.

 

You handed the glass back and shrugged. “It’s good,” You said simply. He frowned, and then handed you another glass. This time the wine was red, and it was sharper. You shrugged again. “That one is nice too,”

 

The count set the glass down on the counter harder than necessary and glared at you. “Nothing else?”

 

You sighed. “You already know I don’t know anything about wine, what are you expecting?”

 

“Oh I don’t know, some small iota of enthusiasm?”

 

You smiled, bringing a knee up to your chest and hugging it. “Oh, Sire, both of those wines are so mind blowing and fantastic!” You said, tilting your head, “How ever am I, a tasteless peasant, to choose?”

 

You saw Lucio’s golden hand curl into a fist, and felt a strange mixture of satisfaction of nervousness. You were openly making sport of him now. The wine vendor heard, and you all knew it, even though they were pretending not to. Had you pushed too far?

 

But he pushed another glass toward you. “This one,” He said, voice dangerously quiet. You took it and took a sip. It was sweet and somehow stronger than the others, overwhelming all your senses. You closed your eyes. It was the best wine you’d ever tasted in your life. You opened your eyes and looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

 

“What is this?” You asked, tilting your head and tapping your finger against the glass. Lucio’s lip curled. His eyes lit up. 

 

“Of course,” He said, smoothing his hand over his hair and leaning against the counter, “You would have never had it before. It’s ice wine. It’s made differently from most wines, from grapes that have frozen on the vine. It makes it stronger, and sweeter,” He fixed you with an odd look, something you couldn’t really read. You took another sip, looking down again.

 

“That’s… actually really… interesting,” you said, finishing the glass, then frowning. “But wouldn’t that make it… um… really expensive? You’d only be able to make it once a year when there was a fairly sudden frost… there would be years when you couldn’t make it at all, wouldn’t there be?” You looked up at Lucio again, then realised he would have no idea, and looked away again, turning the glass in your hands. You hesitated for a moment, then held it out again for him to take from you. He lifted it from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours as he did. You cleared your throat and bit your lip.

 

“Three barrels of this one,” Lucio called over his shoulder, pointing at a bottle so thin and small you could have easily closed your hand around it. The wine vendor’s eyes shot a little wider, and then he nodded. 

 

“Yes, my lord!” He said, scrabbling to write the order down. Lucio turned back to you, his eyes sparkling. 

 

“What else would you like to try? If you liked the ice wine, there’s a marvelous cherry moscato you might appreciate…” He snapped his fingers, and the vendor started pouring more glasses. You felt your face burning as Lucio sat down beside you, passing you another glass of wine. You lifted it to your lips, taking the smallest sip possible. It was delicious. You bit your lip.

 

“Ah, uh, yeah, this one’s good too,” You said, tilting your head, “I think I prefer… uh… sweet wines. If I’m not eating something with it, you know?”

 

The Count caught your chin and tilted your face toward his, pressing his lips to yours in plain view of everyone passing by. You shot backward, looking around with wide eyes. He hummed. 

 

“You’re right,” He said. He turned to the vendor, who was looking as shocked as you. “A barrel of that one as well. And the pinot grigio as well,” He said, waving his hand to dismiss the vendor. You brought the glass up in front of your face again in an attempt to stop Lucio from kissing you again. The last thing you needed was word getting around that you were the Count’s newest toy just before you came back home. 

 

“I actually need to um,” You cast around, “I needed to buy myself a new athame, so… I’ll meet you back at the carriage,” You said, draining your glass and shooting to your feet. Lucio looked taken aback and stood too. 

 

“Well I’m done placing my orders, I’ll come with you to buy your… thing,” He said, reaching into his pocket and dumping out a large handful of gold on the counter. It seemed like too much, but then he repeated the action twice more.  _ How much was that Ice wine worth? _

 

You swallowed and turned, pulling your hood low and striding quickly down the street, barely waving at the florist when he called out to you. Lucio picked up his pace and caught your wrist. 

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

You pulled your wrist out of his grip and scowled. “Don’t get too familiar, Sire,” You snapped. He looked taken aback.

 

“Excuse me?” He asked, stepping firmly into your personal space. You snarled. 

 

“I said don’t get too familiar. I don’t want people to see-“

 

“I’ve already told you I don’t care if people know you’re with me,” Lucio sighed, sounding almost relieved. You turned and started walking away. 

 

“Well I do,” You snapped, “and I’m not  _ with _ anyone,”  _ least of all you. _ You managed five steps before you were suddenly hoisted into the air and thrown over the Count’s metal shoulder. You yelped. 

 

“Shopping trip is over,” He snapped, “We’re going back to the castle,”

 

“Put me down!” You snapped, using one arm to prop yourself up and the other to cover your face. You could see a crowd gathering to see the Count carrying you through the market, all sense of decorum thrown to the wayside. 

 

“Why? Because we’ll be seen together?” He sneered, much too loud, “You should be glad to be seen with me, trickster. How many would kill to be in your position? You’re ungrateful,” He snapped, hurling the last word like the worst insult he could think of. You struggled, only to be rewarded with a clawed hand digging into your lower back. 

 

“Let me down. I need to go and buy my athame,”

 

“No. You’re going back to the palace,” He snapped, tossing you into the carriage and getting in after you. He slammed the door and fixed you with a steely glare. You turned away, pulling your hood lower and staring out the window. 

 

“Take that hood down,” He snapped. You crossed your arms. “I said  _ take it down _ ,”

 

“No,” You snapped. 

 

He was in the bench over you, yanking your hood down and pressing you into the chair. You bit your lip and kept your eyes on your lap as he tilted your head up toward his. He sneered. 

 

“You need to learn to appreciate me,” he hissed. “You want to keep your little facade up for everyone so desperately that you can’t see opportunity when it’s right in front of you-”

 

“Opportunity for what?” You sneered, your eyes meeting his, “Oh, here comes my chance to be the Count of Vesuvia’s personal plaything for a few days at the expense of only my reputation and morals,” You were working up a head of steam, rising forward in your chair, snarling in his face as he seemed to lose himself in your words. His face slack. His eyes wide. “Oh, how good, how generous of you to have clothes made for me that I’ll never be able to practically wear and have me sleep in your big palace for a few nights and grace me with your presence, how fantastic, how flattering- but what will I do when you get bored and I have to return to my shop that’s been abandoned for a week and all my respectability is out the window? When you tire of me and cast me aside for the newest, shiniest piece of ass that wanders through your path and you decide you want them, where do I go? No, no thank you very much, Sire. I think I’d rather we keep our fucking hands to ourselves in public,”

 

“Are you… ashamed of me?” He asked, his voice low and scratchy. His face looked so… vulnerable. Your chest felt like it was going to seize up. 

 

“Yes,” You said, pushing him back. He fell into his seat, his eyes wide as you snarled at him. “Yes. I’m ashamed of you. I’m ashamed of your actions, I’m ashamed of how you speak to people, how you treat me,” You leaned forward, pressing your fingers hard into his exposed chest and sneering down at him, “I’m ashamed of what you do to this city and its people, and despite all of that, I’m ashamed that I want to fuck you anyway. I’m disgusted by the fact that you’re a horrible little worm of a man and I still want you. It’s vile. It’s reprehensible. You’re a terrible, terrible person,” You spat, glaring at him. His face was reddened, he’d slouched down into his chair, and he was watching you like he’d never seen anything so attractive in his life. His knees twitched closer, and he swallowed, glancing down over you and then snapping his eyes back up to yours, as though he was afraid you’d disappear if he broke eye contact for too long. You scowled. “I’m going to kiss you now,”

 

You leaned down, pulling his hair hard and pressing your mouth against his. He whimpered as you straddled him, your other hand gripping his neck hard. He smiled, tilting his head as you released the pressure on his hair and rubbed his scalp, biting at his bottom lip and then pulling back. He peered up at you with hooded eyes, his hands falling to your thighs, and shifted a little under you. You’d never seen someone so happy after being insulted. You felt anger flare up in your chest. You’d finally told him everything that you’d been holding back since you’d met him and he was getting off on it. Possibly because you were- but  _ still _ . You slapped him lightly across the face, and his hand flew to his cheek, his eyes flying wide again as he looked up at you. 

 

“What was that for?” He asked, sounding a little outraged. You scowled. 

 

“For being an obnoxious prick,” You said, moving to slide off of his lap and back to your seat. He caught your waist and scowled, his eyes fixed on your neck. 

 

“What’s that?” He asked, reaching up and pulling the shirt and hood further from the hickeys that Julian had given you with his clawed hand. You bit your lip and went to pull away, but he gripped you tighter, his claw scraping hard against the love bites on your throat. His face twisted. He suddenly looked furious, bitter. 

 

“Sire-”

 

“What, after what I did for you you slipped into someone else’s bed? Some other little noble flung their door open and you just went running, huh?” He growled, pulling you closer, grinding into you. Your face burned. 

 

“No-”

 

Realisation washed over Lucio’s face, and he yanked you down toward his. “Oh, oh! Even better, some slinking little servant of mine found their way between your sheets last night, then? Some filthy street mongrel thought they could lay claim to something that’s mine?”

 

“I’m not-”

 

But now Lucio was the one getting worked up, pulling you flush to him, smiling in a way that was more like an excuse to bear his teeth than anything else. “Did they make you cum like I did? Did it feel as good as having my fingers inside of you?”

 

“I-“

 

“Did you look them in the eye? Did you moan their name with that mouth of yours? Did you give them freely what I have to wrest from you at every turn? Did you roll over easy for them, trickster?” 

 

“Sire…”

 

But he was hard now, his cock straining at his pants, and his human hand digging hard into your side as his claws sat against the bruises on your neck. “They marked you up like they wanted to send a message. What if I sent one back?” He said, his hand curling into a fist, pulling your shirt tight around you. “What I should do is I should call my staff to the banquet hall and fuck you there on the table so that every last one of them knows who you belong to,” He ground up into you hard and you bit back a whine, “How would your little lover feel, watching you bent over the table taking royal cock? Do you think they’d feel guilty for trying to take what’s mine? Do you think they’d realise they aren’t good enough to touch you when they saw you moaning like a whore while I fucked you?”

 

You bit your lip, hiding your face in your hands while he ran his hands over your ass and squeezed hard, making you lurch forward. “Sire, You can’t, I… This is… I’m not yours,” you ground out, shaking your head. He snarled.

 

“Oh, your aren’t? Do you belong to the commoner who saw fit to bite you black and blue for everyone to see?”

 

You made to get off his lap again, but he held you still. 

 

“No, I don’t want everyone to see you. I want exclusivity. I want to own the sight of you around me, even if I don’t own all of you,” He muttered, more to himself than you, “No, but we’ll let them know. Your little lover, your little sneak,” He narrowed his eyes. “It wasn’t my wife, was it?”

 

You didn’t answer. You didn’t want to give him anything else to go off of. If anything happened to Julian because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself…

 

“No… I couldn’t see Nadia being so subtle. If she wanted to mark you she’d have gone bigger. But still. I need to get her back for that dance anyway…”

 

He fell silent, thoughtful, and nerves made you jittery. You pulled up to the palace and you were instantly yanked from the carriage, dragged through the halls and toward Nadia’s wing. You almost tripped as Lucio dragged you into the bedroom. He kicked the door shut and turned to you, looking angry.

 

“Okay. Strip,” He said, pointing at the ground. You scowled.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Take your clothes off,” He snapped, “Like you did for your little commoner,”

 

“Fuck you,” You spat, crossing your arms. You felt as though you were regaining some of your senses, with a few feet between the pair of you and the hindsight to realise everything he did was bluster. He sneered.

 

“That’s the idea, Trickster. Now take off your clothes,”

 

“Why would I do that? It’s about the least enticing thing I can think of at the moment,” You snapped. But that was it. He was storming up to you, one hand in your hair, a claw at your waist, a snarl on his face.

 

“You’re going to do it, and I’m going to fuck you in my wife’s bed,”

 

“You have separate beds because she’s out of your league,” You snapped, even as he tightened his grip on your hair. You kicked your shoes off and dropped your trousers, slapping his hands away as you pulled your shirt over your head and then stood back, crossing your arms. Lucio was sneering.

 

“Oh is that so?”

 

“Yes,” you snap, reaching out and beginning to yank at the straps of his ridiculous clothes. “She’s kinder than you, smarter than you, elegant, beautiful, alluring-“

 

He picked you up and threw you on the bed, pinning your wrists down and bringing his face close to yours. You had to fight the urge to headbutt him. “But it’s not her with you now,” He growled, grasping both your wrists in one hand and pinning them over your head, bringing his clawed hand to your thigh and pulling it open, slotting himself between them. “It’s me,” 

 

You let your eyes catch his, and he seemed to go slack for a moment, his grip relaxing enough for you to pull your hands free and yank him onto Nadia’s bed. You rolled him over onto his back and returned to ripping his clothes off so roughly you were likely damaging the expensive fabric, but you didn’t care. You sent the buttons of his trousers flying as you yanked them down around his knees, not bothering to pull them all the way off. Eventually he was spread out beneath you, laying in a pile of tattered clothes and looking very turned on. You tilted your head and grasped his hair hard, pulling him upright and bringing your lips together hard. He moaned, wrapping his arms tight around your waist and grinding up into you, his clawed hand moving to your underwear, sliding into them and grabbing your ass hard. You yelped and jerked your hips, making him groan as you ground against him harder. He moved to kiss your neck, but he drew back, his eyes on Julian’s hickeys again. 

 

He looked up at you and for a second you could have sworn he looked hurt, but then it was gone, because threw you down into the bed and turned you over, pressing your face down into the bed as he nudged your legs apart with his knee, pulling your ass up into the air and using his clawed hand to rip your underwear away. “You roll over for anyone who asks, huh?” He snarled, running his hand down your spine, “Anyone but me, it seems. I have to try, don’t I? You want me to chase you? You want me to pin you down like this?”

 

You bit your lip, resisting the urge to throw yourself back into him. He stroked your back, his metal arm warming up against your bare skin. His human hand slipped between your legs and slid against you. 

 

“You want this so bad. You’re so fucking wet for me. Did they make you this wet? Pawing at you like a wild animal, rutting against you… marking you up as though they had a right to. How dare they-“ He slid his fingers into you and grasped your hip, his claws digging into your skin. The sting of sharp metal against you combined with the way his fingers felt inside you made you whine, rocking your hips back toward him. 

 

“Sire…” You cooed, and Lucio grunted. You brought a hand up and covered your face, hiding yourself from sight as he twisted his fingers.

 

“Say it. You know what I want to hear. Say it,” 

 

“No,” You growled, “Why should I?”

 

Lucio snarled and pulled his hand from you, turning you over so you were facing him. He pinned your wrists again, leaning over you. You turned your head, closing your eyes and pressing your face into the comforter. “Did you moan their name? Tell me. Did they make you cum? Did you whine when they touched you like you whine when I do? Did you think of me?”

 

You opened your eyes and turned to him, glaring. “No,”

 

Lucio’s hips stuttered against yours as your eyes met his, and there was desperation in his face as he let go of your wrists and caught your waist. He reached down, between you, and hesitated. “Can I…”

 

“If you’re not too much of a pathetic insect to stick it in,” You sneered, staring him down. He moaned again, letting himself fold over you, his forehead resting against your collarbone. He was breathing heavily, panting warm breath over your skin as his fingers found you again. Your body was buzzing with anticipation. 

 

Then he pushed in, and you arched with it, feeling like the air had been knocked out of you. He pressed an uncharacteristically soft kiss to your collarbone, a gentle shushing sound escaping his lips as he let you adjust. You closed your eyes. Somehow this little piece of affection felt dirtier- more wrong than the rest of it all combined. The softness of his touch in that moment seemed to make the dislike you felt for him feel wrong. 

 

But then he pulled out and slammed back in, hooking his arms under your knees and bending you almost in half as he hammered into you. He was hitting deep, so deep, making you whine and your eyes roll back. You arched, digging your fingers into his forearm as you tried to get a grip on hair metal wrist. 

 

The door opened and shut, and you jerked up, making to turn, but Lucio pinned you flat, his metal hand on your chest, his fingers digging into your skin. He was grinning, and you could feel movement out of sight by the door.

 

“Ah, Noddy, nice of you do join us,”

 

You gasped and brought your hands up to cover your face, your skin burning with humiliation. Lucio was still inside of you. 

 

“Ah, I see you’re turning disappointing people in this bed into a habit, my love,” Nadia said coldly, and you could hear the rustle of her calmly shedding hair jacket. You bit your lip, and Lucio scowled, rocking into you slowly with his eyes fixed on his wife.

 

“Disappointing… You’ve got to be kidding. I’ve never disappointed a soul. Just ask our little magician,”

 

You pressed your hands harder against your face and let out a low whine, not willing to attempt word. Nadia laughed.

 

“I don’t think they’ll tell you much with their hands over their mouth,” She said. You turned your head again and pressed it into her comforter. She laughed. “Oh, little magician. Did you get so excited about what I said I wanted to do to you that you had to leap into my bed? You even brought him along, how kind of you to save me the trouble,” 

 

You shook your head, but you were cut off by Lucio. “They didn’t plan this Noddy, don’t be rude. I put in all this effort to show you your little pet’s new tricks and you don’t even acknowledge my hard work,”

 

“Well, it’s certainly a sight to come home to, I’ll give you that,” Nadia replied. You felt her hand in your hair, stroking it gently. “But I’m afraid that you’re making rather a lot of work for me at the end of the day. When you’re inevitably a failure, I’ll have to make up for it to our poor guest,”

 

“A failure? A failure!” Lucio growled, snapping his hips forward and making you arch again despite yourself. “We’ll see who’s a failure. Whose name comes to mind, trickster? Let’s see. Let’s see who between us plays the game better, shall we?”

 

“If you think you won’t simply humiliate yourself, Lucio,” Nadia said calmly. Then you felt hands pulling your wrists away from your face, and Nadia kissed you. Her glossy lips moved against yours and you moaned as Lucio returned to fucking you, harder now. You supposed it was that he had something to prove. You arched, brow furrowed, and Nadia clutched your face, cradling your head as Lucio’s hand encircled your waist and he dragged you down, out of Nadia’s grasp, pulling you into his lap and using his arms to move you up and down on his cock, pressing his lips to your collarbone and grinding up into you. You whined, already beginning to feel overwhelmed and shaky as his claws dug into your skin, maybe even breaking it. 

 

Nadia slid up behind you, her hands on your ribs and her lips on your shoulder as she watched her husband fuck you mercilessly and deep. Lucio bit your shoulder hard, grinding up into you and groaning as you tensed, tightening yourself around him cruelly. He closed his eyes, and you felt warmth begin to run down your back where his claws were drawing blood. You moaned, the pain grounding you, stopping you from losing yourself in it. 

 

Nadia’s hand found your neck and held it posessively, her other pushing Lucio back. His eye opened and he met her gaze with an unhappy expression. You couldn’t see her face, but you heard her voice as she spoke. 

 

“Already close to coming, My love?” She sneered, the hand she’d had on his head coming to where he’d bitten you and smoothing over the blooming bruise, “Not unexpected, but, still,” 

 

She slipped her hand down, over your chest, your stomach, coming to rest between your legs and feeling for your clit. When she found it, she began circling it slowly with her finger, and you tensed, stiff against her. Your thighs tightened around Lucio’s hips, and he huffed out a breath as you squeezed him again, bucking into you again. “Has our guest even cum yet? Are you as selfish a lover as you are a man, My love?”

 

You closed your eyes, trying to catch your breath, leaning against her and letting out a long, drawn out whine. Nadia’s hand around your neck tightened for a half a second, but then released, sliding over you again, resting over your heart, feeling how fast it was beating. She smiled against your neck. 

 

“Tell me how you feel, little magician,” She cooed, “Are you enjoying yourself, dear?”

 

You move to cover your face, but the hand over your heart and Lucio’s human hand both move and catch your wrists, pulling them away from yourself as you whine. “P-please…” Lucio groans at the sound, sliding his metal hand up and down your side and leaning back against the headboard as he fucked you so that he could see Nadia’s fingers at your clit and where you were stretched around him. 

 

“Please what?” Nadia asked calmly, moving her fingers slightly slower. You bit your lip and keened, your voice comprised of nothing but frustration.

 

“Please,” You panted, twitching your hips, “please, I just wanna… I just wanna cum,”

 

And Lucio was on you again, pressing his mouth to your skin, sucking hickeys against your ribs and your chest, biting you and humming as he slid his dick in and out of you. Nadia tutted.

 

“Do you deserve to cum?” She whispered. Lucio whined before you could.

 

“No, no, I want them to cum around me, let me feel them cum around my dick,” He let go of your wrist and grabbed your hips again, slamming you down and grinding up into you. Nadia hissed her disapproval. You used your newly freed hand to cover your face, turning your head away from them and twitching. Lucio whined again.

 

“Trickster,” He groaned, “Trickster… Look at me. I want to see you. Let me see your eyes while you cum around me, I want it…”

 

“Please,,” you whimpered, your legs all but giving out as Nadia’s fingers twitched against you. “Please, I need to cum,”

 

“No,” Nadia said, “Turn around,”

 

“Noddy!” Lucio said, gripping your hips and rocking up into you, “I want them like this,”

 

Nadia scoffed, and Lucio whined, pulling out and turning you. You leaned forward, dizzy and shaky and overwhelmed as Nadia brought her hand back between your legs. She slipped her fingers inside of you. 

 

She was wearing nothing but a dress shirt, half buttoned, hanging off one shoulder, her hair was down, trailing down her back and over the bed behind her where she knelt, and her eyes were fixed so intently on you that you could have sworn she could see through you, into your soul. You faltered, your lips parting, your heart throbbing in your chest. She brought her lips to yours again as she ran her thumb over your clit. You moaned into her mouth, throwing your arms around her shoulders and leaning into her. She smiled against your lips, grasping your hair, letting her nails graze your scalp gently, and you shuddered, ready to give her everything, anything she wanted from you.

 

“Don’t cum,” She said, refocusing all her attention on your clit as she pushed you back, making you lay on top of Lucio.

 

“Yes, My lady,” you gasp, your legs moving to close. She smiled, moving faster, leaning over the both of you, her eyes hooded.

 

“Don’t you dare…” She hissed, her every touch setting you on fire, sending jolts up and down your body, every nerve burning. Your insides were liquid, your eyes rolled back. You let out a whine, your hands balling into fists in her sheets. You could feel Lucio behind you, touching you, breathing heavy against your neck, his cock pressing into your back. You shut your eyes tight, biting your lip. 

 

“I can’t, my lady, I can’t, I’m going to… I have to… Please!”

 

“Don’t you dare cum until you have my permission,” She snarled, redoubling her efforts. Your mouth fell open, your eyes rolling back, everything about the situation was too much and not enough and your legs were shaking and you felt Lucio rake his claw down your stomach and he slid home into you, his cock stretching you as Nadia flicked over your clit and you sobbed as you came, your body shaking with it. Your muscles tensed, and you made to curl into yourself, to jerk away from them, because it was too much, you just couldn’t take any more. 

 

But they pinned you, they spread you wide and you rode out your orgasm stretched out between them, shockwaves rolling through you for longer than they ever should, bringing tears to your eyes. When you were done, Nadia hissed in your ear.

 

“You just disobeyed a direct order, little magician,” 

 

You swallowed, nervously looking over her face. “I’m s-sorry,” You whined, your whole body shaking. 

 

“You should be,” She said, voice low, “I should just let Lucio have you for that. Leave you to him…”

 

You arched. Lucio was still inside you, and from the way his grip tightened, he would  _ love _ to have you all to himself again. You swallowed. You wanted Nadia. She looked incredible, her hands felt amazing against you, you ached to taste her…

 

“Please, no…” You twitched, and Nadia smiled as Lucio made a huffing sound in your ear. “Please let me touch you…”

 

“Why should I give you what you want after you disobeyed a direct order?” 

 

You whine again, unable to do anything, pinned between two of the most powerful people in the city and completely at their mercy. You bit your lip and squeezed your eyes shut. “Please…” You whispered, and Lucio seemed to break beneath you at the sound. He grabbed your hips hard and sat up again, throwing you into Nadia’s arms and ramming into you at a punishing pace. You gasped, still over sensitive from your orgasm.

 

“Lucio, do you have no self control at all?” Nadia snapped, her nails digging into your shoulders as Lucio grabbed your hair, pulling your head back as he fucked you, baring your neck to Nadia and making you whimper. 

 

“I’m comprised entirely of self control,” Lucio growled, “They haven’t passed out from cumming yet, have they? And this is the first time they’ve been full of my dick. I wanted to fuck them on the carriage ride here  _ days _ ago and I’m only doing it now. See? I’m the king of self control,”

 

You groan, and he pulled you up, his golden hand encasing your throat as he held you, supporting your upper body with his other arm across your ribs as he snapped his hips up into yours. You were completely limp, your brain fuzzy, fucked-out. Nadia shook her head and sneered at him.

 

“Selfish, as usual, Lucio,” She snapped, smoothing her hair back and looking you up and down. “selfish and unimpressive,”

 

“Tell that to our little trickster,” He grunted, grinding deeper into you. “They seem perfectly happy,” You tried to hold back the moan that escaped you, only managing to make yourself sound needier. Nadia scoffed.

 

“Apparently our  _ little trickster  _ is easy to impress. There’s a reason you’re not welcome in my bed alone, Lucio,  _ dear _ ,”

 

You yelped as Lucio struck the point inside of you that needed it most, and you almost came again, your eyes rolling back, your legs shaking. Nadia scowled.

 

“Let go of them. They have a job to do,” 

 

“What if I don’t want to share?” Lucio asked sharply, slowing down a little. You could tell he was trying not to cum, but you whined as the tension inside you began to ease again. 

 

“What on earth do you mean, Lucio?” Nadia snapped. Lucio made a noise low in his chest and squeezed your neck a little tighter, the claws of his hand digging in on either side. 

 

“Maybe they’re mine,” He hissed, biting at your ear and humming. “Maybe I don’t want to share anymore,”

 

“Oh, do stop being a child, Lucio,” Nadia snapped, reaching up and taking his hands off you, supporting you as you toppled forward, almost too far gone to catch yourself. Lucio whined, and she shot him a dirty look as she settled back onto the bed. She stroked your hair. “What do you want, little magician?” She cooed. You moaned, grabbing her legs running your hands up her thighs, pulling her shirt up, and when you saw she wasn’t wearing underwear you sighed wistfully. You pushed the shirt up further until it was around her waist and kissed her stomach, making your way lower, and lower, then looking up at her and biting your lip.

 

“I want to taste you… C-can I please?” You ask, sliding your hands over her thighs and rocking slightly as Lucio starts to pick his pace back up again. Nadia smiled indulgently.

 

“If you want to, dear,” She said. You whined and buried your face between her legs, pushing your tongue inside her and then drawing it upward, over her clit and back down again. You felt her fingers rake through your hair and tug, making you whine against her. She made a quiet, needy sound, and you felt it run through you like an electric charge. 

 

You sucked on her clit, bringing your hand to her and sliding two of your fingers inside her, pumping them slowly as you dragged your tongue over her. Her thighs tightened a little around your head and she sighed happily. You opened your eyes and met hers, smirking slightly before casting a warming spell on your hand. Nadia lurched, her eye flying wide as your warm fingers slid in and out of her. You lifted your face away and replaced your tongue with your thumb, circling her clit gently. You leaned up, bringing a hand behind her head and pulling her into a kiss. Lucio whined as he slipped out of you, and you shuddered with the sudden emptiness, but your main concern at that moment was touching Nadia, feeling Nadia, making Nadia cum. You leaned back and offered her a mischievous smile as you slipped another finger in and crooked them, hitting her g-spot and making her legs go stiff.

 

“Is it good, Countess?” You whispered, “All I want to do is please you, my lady,” 

 

She moaned- she actually  _ moaned _ \- and you felt like you might melt any moment, but then you pressed harder against her clit and curled your fingers just so, and she arched, her eyes fluttering shut as she tightened around your fingers, and you’d never seen anything so beautiful in your life, you were breathless from it. 

 

And you kept moving your fingers gently back and forth, letting her ride it out as long as possible. You paused, admiring the rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips pressed together, the way her hands came up to brush her hair away.

 

Then there was a cold, metal hand on your shoulder, and you were being pulled back against Lucio, your hands flying to his thighs and your head bumping against his collarbone. “Having fun?” He growled, moving his claw over your chest as his human hand slid around your hip and between your thighs, sliding inside of you easily. You squeaked, your hips jerking, and he tightened his grip on you, pressing you back against his body. 

 

“Sire…”

 

At the honorific he turned, throwing you down into the pillows and grasping your wrists, pinning you down and pushing between your legs. You let him, falling flat, pliant. He hovered over you, his face coming close to yours. 

 

“Say my name,” He whispered, grinding against you. You whimpered, turning your head and pressing it into the pillow. Your body was aching for him, every inch of you on fire, but Nadia was a few inches away, bathed in afterglow, and Lucio was there, being… gentle…

 

You bit your lip and shook your head. Lucio groaned. He ground against you again, and you arched. “Oh, just fuck me,” You growled, bringing your legs up and wrapping them around him, digging your heel into his back and trying to pull him forward. He smiled.

 

“Say it. Who do you want to fuck you? Who is it who has you begging, trickster?”

 

You grit your teeth. You were begging. All the humiliation, the frustration, and still it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted more from you. He wanted to take you apart. You couldn’t face it. You couldn’t let him have what he wanted.

 

“You want my cock in you but you can’t even say my name?” His lips brushed your ear, and he sucked in a breath. “You want me to fuck you but you won’t let me have you? You won’t give me your voice wrapped around my name? You won’t let me look at you, see you, but you want me to take you, taste you, fuck you… You don’t want me to have any of you but you’d take damn near all of me. They call  _ me _ selfish?” He slid back into you, and you keened, your knees locking as he slowly rocked in and out of you, once, twice, then he slipped back out. 

 

You whined, hips jolting up, chasing the friction, but he just went back to grinding lazily against you. Your hands curled against the pillows, grasping them so hard you swore that they would rip, but you kept your jaw clenched. If it was a battle of wills that Lucio wanted, it was a battle of wills he would get. You could do it. You had the self control not to beg for a man who you didn’t like.

 

Then he slid in you again, rocking slowly in, stretching you wide, but then he slipped back out and you moaned. “Say my name,” He said, his voice getting whiny, “Look at me and say my name, please, oh gods,” He grasped your face in his clawed hand and made you face him. “I need to hear it. Let me have it. Let me have you,” His sharp thumb traced down your lips and parted them, the tip clicking against your teeth as he pressed your bottom lip, seemingly fascinated by the way it moved under his touch. You pulled your face away, letting his other claws scratch you as you did it. He scowled and slammed into you, making your gasp desperately for breath.

“Did you moan their name?” He snarled, pressing his lips over the hickeys that Julian has left. You closed your eyes. “When you spread your legs for them, did they get to hear your voice around their filthy, common name? Did you make it easy? Did you let them fuck you softly, sweetly?” He slid his hand down over your throat and squeezed threateningly. “Did they make you cum? Did they get to see you like this, debauched and disheveled and overwhelmingly tempting?”

 

You gasped, your hand clutching at his wrist, your eyes rolling back as he fucked you harder, increasing the pressure on your throat. Lucio smiled. He let go of your other wrist and brought his hand to your clit, rubbing quick circles around it and making your mind go blank. Something in you snapped. You met his gaze with shaky vision and moaned, arching your back as much as you could with his hand at your neck. He eased up his grip, and you gasped, feeling yourself get lost as your body short circuited. 

 

“Lucio-“ You whined, keeping your eyes on his, desperate, your lips bruised, your body throbbing. He jerked, his hips slamming into you as deep as he could go and you felt him pulse inside, filling you up, and he made a noise deep in his throat, his face slackened, his hands flying to your waist and gripping you like a lifeline. You tried desperately to catch your breath. Lucio collapsed on top of you, resting his face against your shoulder and breathing hard. he slipped out of you, and you cringed at the way you felt, his cum leaking out of you. 

 

“I need to go. Where’s my bag?” You say, rolling Lucio off of you and sitting up. You looked down. Nadia was sleeping. You smiled to yourself. She must have been exhausted. 

 

“What? Where are you going?” Lucio barked, sitting up. You scowled at your tattered underwear and pulled on your trousers. You glanced at him. 

 

“I have to go take a contraceptive potion,” You said, “I’m not bearing your pointy-headed spawn,”

 

“But you don’t have to take those straight away!” Lucio snapped, sounding irritated, “You have eight hours! Come back to bed!”

 

“Why?” You scoffed, “To cuddle?” You shook your head, pulling your shirt overhead and grabbing your bag. You carried a couple contraceptives all the time, a couple of the street urchins you checked up on were getting to the age where they might end up needing them, and you had told them they could always get one from you, no questions asked. 

 

Lucio looked slightly cowed for a moment. You glanced over your shoulder, and for a brief moment, pity welled up in your chest. You should set him straight. Tell him what this really was. It was wrong to let him think it was anything other than a quick release. Whatever he had going on in that head of his couldn’t stay there.

 

But then he got up too and pulled on his torn clothes, taking stock of the tattered fabric and missing buttons. He looked back up at you, his eyes sparking with something. “These clothes cost a lot of money,”

 

You reached into your back and took out your contraceptive, drinking it in one gulp and turning back to him. “Okay…”

 

“You’ll be working tonight’s feast and tomorrow to pay for them,” He said calmly. You frowned. 

 

“I’ve done my three days. Just take it out of the money you were going to pay me,”

 

“These clothes had  _ emotional _ value. Your wages wouldn’t cover them. You’re staying for another two days,”

 

You shook your head, tired and shaky and not willing to argue. “Fine. But tomorrow will be my last night, and someone needs to go to the shop and let my Master know,” 

 

Lucio stiffened at the mention of Asra. He smoothed his hair back absentmindedly. “Ah. Yes word will be sent to him,”

 

You inclined your head shortly. “Thank you, Sire,” And then you walked out of the room, shuffling straight to the guest baths and running one for yourself. You hissed as you sank into the water, taking stock of yourself. You were covered in scrapes and bruises, and you could feel some punctures on your hip. You wondered if your throat was bruised. 

 

You bit your lip as you washed your hair, scrubbing it harder than was necessary. You were scrambling for ideas, what could you do that would impress after last night?

 

You got out of the bath and watched the bubbles pop as the water drained away. You vaguely wished that you could do a disappearing act, vanish yourself from everyone’s memories and expectations, remove yourself from their minds and start new. 

 

You wondered if that was what had happened to your mind. If that was why you had no memories at all.

 

You wondered until you felt the urgency of your performance. You needed to get ready for the feast. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> songs: 
> 
> Strange Love, Halsey
> 
> Belt Loops- EP Version, The Films


	7. The Catch, The Tie, The Snag... A Downside, Or Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apprentice resolves one issue and ice-skates into another. Someone please just... put them back in their shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmm mmmmm mm mmm okay maybe we're getting ooc but let's pretend it's character development because i'm a hoe and the black hole i call my heart wants what it wants.

Once again, you were standing in a room filled with people you had nothing to say to who wanted nothing more than to make you speak. You nodded and smiled and answered questions with polite, single-word replies. 

 

Eventually, after you’d had two or three glasses of ice wine and were beginning to feel hot under your hood, you felt a hand on your waist.

 

“I prefer this outfit to any of the ones he’s put you in before. You look stunning in blue,” 

 

“Well, doctor,” you murmured, crossing your arm across your waist and pressing your hand over his, smiling to yourself, “It took you awhile to find your way to my side,”

 

“Too long, but after all, I wasn’t looking. I thought you were to be dismissed today,” 

 

You turned toward him, peering up at what you could see of his face that wasn’t obscured from your line of sight by your hood. “I was, but then I did some damage and now I’m afraid I’m a little in debt. I’m here two more days so I can pay it off,”

 

“Damage?” 

 

“I ripped the Count’s clothes,” You said, turning away and setting your empty glass on the tray of a passing servant. Julian let out a laugh.

 

“That sounds like trouble,” He hesitated, and then his other hand found your waist as well. “Can… can we get out of here? Just for a moment?”

 

You looked around, making sure no one was looking at you. The last thing you wanted was to cause Julian any problems. Everyone seemed absorbed in their own conversations and activities. 

 

“Where?” You hissed, turning back to him and smiling. 

 

“I know just the place…” He said, grinning and taking your hand. He rushed you through a hidden passage out to the hall. You laughed as you ran after him, your hood falling down as he led you out onto a veranda overlooking the garden. 

 

You could just hear the music from the hall, quiet but there in the cool night air. The breeze blew straight through the thin fabric of your gauzy blue outfit. You shivered, and Julian shrugged his cape off, throwing it over your shoulders and smiling at you. 

 

“Ah, I’d hate for you to catch a chill,” He said, drawing you in by the lapels. You laughed.

 

“Unlikely on a night like this,” You said, tilting your head and looking up at him. 

 

“Do you begrudge me a fleeting moment of gentlemanly behaviour?”

 

“Not as long as it’s only fleeting, Julian,” You teased, stepping firmly into his personal space. “But I definitely don’t want you to be always a gentleman,”

 

“Oh?” He asked, grinning mischievously, “And what do you want me to be, exactly?” He drew you even closer, his eyes hooded and his lips inviting. You pressed forward, standing on your tip-toes, leaning up toward him, but he remained frustratingly out of reach. You leaned into him, and he smiled, raising his eyebrows. “What is it you want, witch?”

 

“I want  _ you _ , Julian,” You said, your voice low and gravelly with desire. Julian’s face flushed, and you smiled, balling your fists up in his jacket. “I want you in so many ways, but mostly, right now, I want your lips pressed hard against mine, so come here and let me have it,”

 

Julian swallowed, looking like you’d said everything he didn’t know he wanted to hear, and then his mouth was finally against yours, soft, patient, yielding. You let your eyes flutter closed, and hummed, wrapping your arms around him, grasping desperately at him, almost as though you could pull him closer than touching. 

 

But then he broke the kiss, both of you breathless and blushing, and you looked up at him, meeting his dark eyes with open honesty you’d felt with no one since you left your shop. “Julian…”

 

But Julian stepped back, and he held his hand out to you, bringing his other behind his back. He gave you his most dashing smile and tilted his head. “I owe you a dance, my dear, I hope you’re as eager to collect as I am,”

 

You laughed, shaking your head slowly as you took his hand, “You really are something,”

 

He twirled you around, spinning you into his chest, holding you close and grinning his crooked grin. “Thank you,”

 

And you danced, slow and sweet like the barely-there music echoing out to the pair of you. You tilted your head, and closed your eyes, letting him sweep you across the marble floor of the veranda like you’d been practicing with one another for years, for lifetimes. You rested your forehead against his chest, pressing against him, letting him hold you tight. 

 

“What’s that?” He asked, shifting the collar of your shirt. You frowned, knowing he could see what Lucio’s claw had done.  _ Lucio… suppose you sent that message back after all.  _

 

“You’ve seen scratches before, haven’t you? You’re a doctor after all,” You say, trying to tease, to keep the mood light. To do anything but deal with what you knew you’d done. Julian frowned. 

 

“How’d you-” His face darkened a little, and he shrugged. “He always gets what he wants in the end. Don’t let it weigh heavy on your conscience,”

 

It was the voice of a person who knew. You laughed, looking down at Julian’s chest. “I’m sorry, Julian-”

 

“Don’t apologise,” He said calmly, looking away, “we weren’t… We aren’t… It’s not cheating,’

 

“I want,” You take a deep breath, trying to push through the pain in your chest, “The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. If I could I’d take you back to the shop and start all over again, fresh, and not have anything to do with these rich assholes and their damn…” You tugged at the collar of your shirt and looked up at Julian with what must have been a pathetic expression, “Clothes…”

 

“You don’t need a fresh start,” Julian said, shaking his head. You looked down, dropping your gaze to your feet, but Julian tilted your face back up to his and smiled. “You didn’t do a thing wrong,” He laughed, drawing you into him. “Actually this is a little bit of a relief. We both have made the same terrible mistake. Though, perhaps… you less than I,”

 

“You’ve slept with him-”

 

“Plenty of times,” Julian sighed, “He’s… actually pretty good, which… was upsetting to find out,”

 

“I know, right?” you said, looking up at him. Then you both burst into laughter. You rested your forehead against him. He hummed. 

 

“You know, over the next couple days, if… if it happens again, that’s okay too,” He said, his chin coming to rest on your head. “I know how it is. I wouldn’t expect of you what I can’t do,”

 

You stepped back and looked up into his earnest face. “... Really? You aren’t… you wouldn’t get jealous?”

 

“Jealous?” Julian asked, shaking his head, “I don’t own you. The time you spend with me is enough. Don’t you feel the same?”

 

You blinked up at him. You  _ did _ feel the same. You threw your arms around his neck and pulled him down into you, bringing your lips together roughly. Julian seemed taken by surprise for a second, but then he melted into you. You turned him, pressed him against a pillar, grasping his slender waist and squeezing, almost too hard, but he moaned, his hands finding your shoulders as you bit his lip and drew back. He was red and breathless and his fingers curled around your neck, holding you like a flower he wasn’t going to pluck, just take in, just look at, his eyes were hooded and his chest was rising and falling quickly. You smiled.

 

“I like you a lot, Julian,”

 

“No human has ever felt what I feel for you in this moment,” Julian said, drawing you impossibly closer, searching your eyes, “This feeling can’t possibly exist for anyone else but you. This feeling could shatter the world in a moment- there’s no person who can survive this,  _ I  _ can’t survive this…”

 

You laughed, kissing him again. “I’m glad you like me too,”

 

Julian stepped out, away from you. “Like you?  _ Like you? _ For you…” He struck a pose, like he was fencing, “I’d fight back a hundred, no, a thousand seasoned warriors,” He shuffled backward, miming the sword fight. You grinned, walking after him, one hand trailing along the cool railing.

 

“Oh?” 

 

“Not just that, I would sail the seven seas for your smile,” He said, leaping up onto the railing and balancing precariously on it, still walking backward away from you. 

 

“Really?” You tease, grinning at him as he bumped into a pillar. He wobbled for a moment, and you reached up, grasping his coat to steady him. He grabbed the pillar and leaned down closer to you, smiling.

 

“Yes!” he said, his eyes flicking down to your lips and back up again. “Yes, a thousand times. I’d build you a palace as grand as this, no! Grander than this, with my bare hands if I could!”

 

“Anything else you want to add?”

 

His smile slipped, and his eyes met yours. All bluster and drama gone. Honesty had taken its place- earnestness, to the extreme, an overwhelming depth of emotion lay there. “Yes,” He whispered, “I’d become a good man, if you wanted me to,”

 

“Well,” You said, leaning in, “As I’ve never been good a day in my life, I think we may as well just be bad together,” you laughed, “not that I’ve seen a hint of it from you since we met…”

 

“Oh, you are  _ wicked _ …” Julian said, and you were kissing again, hot and needy and his hands were on you and without thinking you leaned in and…

 

**_Crash._ **

 

You’d accidentally pushed him off the veranda and into the bushes it overlooked. You yelped, leaning over the railing. “Julian!” You barked, looking at him sprawled in the over groomed shrubbery. 

 

“I’m fine,” He grunted, standing back up, you sighed, leaning against the railing and looking him in the eye. Your faces were level now. His cheek was scratched, and he was blushing a deep crimson. You frowned, bringing your hand to his cheek.

 

“You’re bleeding…” 

 

“You’re stunning…” He said, leaning in, his eyes on your face. 

 

“You’re off-topic,” You laughed, pulling a leaf from his hair and pressing your forehead to his. He laughed too, his hands coming to rest on your shoulders and his eyes falling shut. When the laughter died down, you grabbed his arms and pulled him back over the railing. He blushed, and once he was standing on his own two feet, he cleared his throat and looked at the ground. 

 

“Ah… you’re stronger than you look…”

 

“Thank you,” you said, bowing. He laughed again.

 

You looked back at the door and sighed. “My performance is imminent, I’m afraid,”

 

“Hopefully something sensible this time,” He said, still a little flushed, “Less dragon summoning and maybe some card tricks added?”

 

You laugh, shaking your head. “No dragons, but no card tricks either, I’m afraid. You’ll have to watch. Try to find a good spot to watch from. Part of it’s for you,” you offered him his cape back and winked.

 

“Part of it is… for me?” He asked, his expression transfixed as he threw his cape back on.

 

“Yes. You’ll know which one,” You said, smiling. Then you lead him back into the dining hall and through the hidden passageway, slipping one by one back into the crowd. Julian was surprisingly good at hiding in plain sight when he wanted to. 

 

You, however, seemed to have a harder time blending in. You yanked your hood up, having barely noticed it being gone at all while you were with Julian, but now you were surrounded by strangers, you wanted nothing more than to retreat into your shell.

 

You knew what was going to happen the second you heard the click of expensive shoes behind you, and felt cold metal grip your arm. “I noticed you slipped away, trickster,” Lucio hissed in your ear. You swallowed. That morning flashed through your mind’s eye. What that claw has done…

 

“Sire, I’m about to start the performance-“

 

“You have time for a dance first, don’t you?” He said, sounding like he had a plan, “You had time to slip away with your lover. Did you show them our broom closet, trickster?”

 

You cleared your throat. “Are you asking me to dance?” 

 

“You’re so...  _ sharp _ ,” he said, digging his claws in a little as he said it. You bit your lip. 

 

“What if I said no?” You hissed, “What if I chose to start my performance instead?”

 

“Play the game,” Lucio said, “You're the one who started it,”

 

You grit your teeth. You knew Lucio was trying to taunt Julian- even without knowing who Julian was. You frowned. “You’re going to do something, I know you are,”

 

“Well, I’m going to dance,” Lucio purred, “That’s something,”

 

“Ah,” You said, “I suppose I really can’t say no, Sire,”

 

Lucio’s grip tightened for a brief second. “You shouldn’t  _ want _ to,” He said, but then you were being swept out onto the floor.

 

Lucio was a practiced dancer. You could tell he knew what he was doing. That being said, there was a disconnect between you. It wasn’t truly clumsy, you doubted that anyone but the pair of you could tell, but as he moved, you tensed, when you steered, he offered resistance.

 

You knew what you should do, you should go pliant, easy, let him play with you like a cat wait a caged canary, but you couldn’t seem to let go. Dancing with Lucio was a power struggle.

 

“Why,” He started, his voice thoughtful, “do you fight me so much?”

 

“Why do you do anything at all?” You hissed, “Spite, I suppose…”

 

Lucio hummed and shook his head, wresting the lead from you again, pulling you along. “Spite?” He said, his voice almost a laugh, as though he wanted you to feel ridiculous, “You think I do what I do for you out of  _ spite _ , trickster?”

 

“If not spite,” You growled, trying to subtly regain some traction as you were swept along, “Then what?”

 

Lucio shook his head, lips pursed a little. “I wish you would take that ridiculous hood off…”

 

“Even a jinn only grants wishes after you rub its lamp,” You said, more to yourself than him. You felt him tense and set eyes on you again. You turned him sharply, regaining the lead, pushing him back, your steps almost too quick, putting distance between you. But then he was there with you, the click of his expensive shoes matching your near silent feet, barely behind. 

 

“Is that what I have to do?” He murmured in your ear, “Simply stroke the right spot and you’ll give me what I want?”

 

You blessed your hood for hiding your blush, and the way his words made you falter left an opening for him. He swept you up again, turned you, and dipped you. Your grip on him was bruising, and you hooked your leg over him to support yourself, but it only let him dip you lower. Your hood slipped, and you knew your face was visible to not only him but likely half the guests. If you weren’t so sure he would drop you, you would have pulled it back into place. 

 

Lucio smiled his sharp smile and his eyes fell hooded. “Ah, dear,” He teased, holding you there for an agonising moment, “This is beginning to feel exposed. Funny how you make eye contact feel risqué,”

 

“Don’t get used to it,” You ground out, Dropping your gaze to your bodies and tensing your leg, pulling you closer, gritting your teeth. 

 

“The eye contact?” Lucio asked, straightening up and spinning you out away from him, extending his arm, the song was almost over, you could end like this, at an arm's length, only your hands connecting you.

 

“The risqué. The eye contact. Me,” You said, frowning and pulling your hood back into place with your free hand. Lucio frowned back, and turned you again, twirling you back into his grip. It was dizzying, and your hood slipped- had you not adjusted it, it would have fallen completely. He pinned your hand to his waist and looked you straight in the face.

 

“What if I want to grow used to you?” Lucio hissed, his eyes searching. You looked down.

 

“Then you’ll be disappointed, Sire,” You pulled away as the music stopped and bowed to him. He kept his golden hand gripping yours as you did, and to cover him, you turned it, pressing your lips to his metallic knuckles.

 

“Disappointed in you?”

 

“Disappointed in your hopes,” You snapped. “You’ll never know me. Now, if you please, I’ll start my performance,” 

 

You stepped back away from him, tugging on your hood again, and turned to address the room at large.

 

“Is it just me…” You said, holding you hands out to your sides and grinning, “Or do you all feel a chill?”

 

There was a murmur, nervous shifting, people casting around, scrambling off the dance floor… And you started, snow shooting up from your palms, blowing overhead and flurrying down over the crowd. Many of them laughed and smiled, catching the snowflakes in their hands. You moved, making your hands face downward, causing the floor to ice over completely, up to the borders of the dance floor, giving you a stageline that no one would cross. 

 

Steps of ice rise beneath your feet, and you walk up them, closer and closer to the impossibly tall ceiling, and they watched you climb ever higher. You smiled down when you could have reached out and set a palm on the ceiling

 

You held your arms over your head and leapt down, plummeting toward the ground, and the entire room seemed to hold their breath in anticipation. They’d seen you stop yourself with the tips of your fingers the night before, but they hadn’t seen what you were about to do.

 

You reached your hands out in front of yourself, silk flew out of your hands, shooting out over your head and catching the top of your frozen staircase. You swung forward from it, the tip of a shoe trailing along the ice, sliding easily along its surface.

 

You planted your feet, eyeing the way the fabric was wrapping along the spiralling steps, drawing you you in closer to its base, and you planted your feet down, sliding along the ground almost as fast as before. Gripping the fabric in one hand, you held the other out, drawing and elegant arc, letting ice rise from the ground in a sloping ridge, a balance beam. 

 

You ended your arc at the base of your staircase again, and climbed up a few, then leapt out onto the balance beam, landing on one foot- it looked more impressive than the magic behind it was- a simple sticking spell and some balance… then you turned, using the spell as you cartwheeled along the ridge. Your hands were starting to ache with the cold, and you knew your hood was shifting, but still, you turned on one hand, landing on your feet and swinging your hands out to either side of you. Massive arcs of ice, thin and clear and catching the candlelight, rose out behind you. You walked forward, stepping off the balance beam and turning, the movement made easier by the ice still beneath your feet. With a lazy flick of one of your hands, the balance beam rose up, widening slightly. The audience gasped and laughed. A massive butterfly ice sculpture towered over you all. You smiled up at it and turned back around, looking around in the crowd, searching for him…

 

There he was, with his cape and his boots and his curly auburn hair, watching you like he was transfixed. He’d climbed up onto the pedestal of a statue for a better view. You smiled at him and held out your hands in front of you. “Let’s heat things up a little, shall we?”

  
  


And real fire shot up from your palms, taking the air from your lungs and making the skin on your face tighten with the heat, but you grinned as the sparks whirled out ahead of the flame’s direction, forming a heart readable from every corner of the room. You kept it up, lifting it over your head and letting it flutter into the air before going out. 

 

You drew a rope from your sleeve, with a ball on the the end. You began spinning it overhead, sliding across the ground easily as you paced away and with a snap of your fingers the ball was alight, and with a turn of your head it was trailing a fiery tail in its wake as it flew through the air. You turned, stepped, danced along the frozen floor, wielding the fire like you’d been practicing for years- incredible what a charmed rope could do.

 

You let it wrap around you, drawing dangerously close to you at a rapid speed before you held out your hand and reversed its momentum in midair, unravelling it from you with a quick movement and then letting it fly out, reaching the end of its tether, and then you hurled it straight into the air, and it burst, sparks showering over the frozen dance floor. They burned a little as they hit your skin, and you thought there must be holes in your outfit, but you didn’t care. The hood didn’t stay in place anyway. 

 

You began to feel woozy, but you held out your hand one more time, and from your palm poured a swarm of your favourite butterflies, comprised of light and fluttering lazily over the crowd as they grinned. You clenched your other hand into a tight fist, trying hard to remain steady as you made your way out of the room. Guests tried to waylay you, catch your attention, but you waved them off as politely as you could manage. You brushed past the Count on your way, not having seen him before you drew within speaking distance, and he caught your arm. 

 

“You always disappear too quickly after your performances,” He said, voice low. You tried hard not to sway on the spot as the room seemed to lurch under your feet. You hadn’t really factored how much harder physical work was than illusion work. You swallowed, realising he wanted a response.

 

“Pardon m-me… Sire… I h-have to…” You sucked in a breath and brushed his hand away, “I have to go… not be here anymore…”

 

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked, turning to grip your shoulder, but then your really did sway, and you reeled away from his hand, your hood slipping as you shot him a glare.

 

“Let me be,” You growled, and then you walked to the door, leaning hard against it before yanking it open. You stumbled through it, scrambling to lean on the wall, grasping at the stone like a lifeline, resting your feverish head against it and struggling for air. The door flew open just as you slid down and onto the ground, heaving in a breath and reaching out, sticking your thumb up in the air. 

 

“‘M good, jus’ gonna take a nap…” You gasp, your other hand grasping the ground desperately, as though your fist could possibly make anything better. Hands found your ribcage, and you were being heaved to your feet again, leaned against the wall, pinned there- or supported- no, pinned, because when your hands found the arms framing you, one of them was cold, and hard, and formed from metal. You snarled. “Leave me alone…” You slurred, trying to get your eyes to focus on the man in front of you even as your head lolled, suddenly too heavy for you to support.

 

“What the hell is happening to you?” The count snapped, pressing you back into the wall with that clawed hand as his human one came and cradled your face, too gentle, too careful. You wanted to vomit, of bite him, but sadly you could do neither because there wasn’t a single muscle in your body acting like it should. In fact, almost every muscle in your body seemed to want Lucio closer, which was… less than great. 

 

“Magical exhaustion!” You snapped, trying to jerk your hand out of his grip but only managing to smack your head against the wall. “It happens every time. Just… Just get me the doctor and leave me alone…”

 

“This… this happens to you every time?” 

 

“Well… not normally this bad… but,” Your vision cut out, and you buckled slightly, the only thing keeping you from crashing to the ground was Lucio’s golden hand, “I uh… kinda overdid it…”

 

Lucio was calling out to a guard, and you expected him to hand you off, to storm away muttering that you were ruining his party and that you weren’t worth all this trouble, but instead you felt him hoist you into his arms and cradle you, storming off silently and angry with you in his grasp. You pressed your hands to his chest, trying to fight, weakly struggling against every ounce of tenderness he gave you, even though your body- and even some, stupid, idiotic part of your mind- were screaming to relax, to be taken care of, to give in. 

 

But you’d used too much energy, and he brought you into a dimly lit hall, the walls covered with pristine portraits of himself, and he brought you through a door and set you down on a red four poster bed. Gently. Not the way the Count of Vesuvia should ever put you in a bed. You realised, by the smell of his cologne on the sheets, that it was his. 

 

“Put me in my room,”

 

“The doctor has been told to come to this one,” Lucio snapped back. You frowned, blinking, trying to find vision. You could see the rich colours of the room you were in, you could decipher a massive portrait of the Count on the wall, and you could see him, pacing angrily at the foot of the bed. You didn’t like this. Not one bit.

 

The door burst open, and a guard half pushed Julian through the door. Julian yanked his coat straight and wordlessly took the usual bottle from his pocket. He walked over to you, lifted your head, and tilted it to your lips. You reached up, curling your fingers gently around his wrist, and tried to make eye contact with him as you swallowed, to somehow let him know that everything was okay, to not let anything on…

 

“You’ve been treating them for this every night since they came here?” Lucio snapped, “And you didn’t see fit to tell me?”

 

“To tell you… that I was doing the job I’m here to do?” Julian asked. You started.  _ Don’t do it, don’t test him, Julian… _

 

“To- Listen to me, this is-”

 

“Common, for magic users,” Julian said, feeling your forehead. You relaxed into the pillow. “Though I think they’d do better to rest in their own room, all they need now is sleep and they’ll be fine,” His touch lingered, but he pulled away, and you resisted the urge to chase his hand. You couldn’t get Julian in trouble. You couldn’t risk it.

 

“Thanks, Doc,” You hissed, hoping he would understand all the feeling you meant to put behind it. 

 

If he did, he didn’t let on. “I’ll excuse myself, then,” He said briskly, “Unless you need anything from me, Sire?”

 

“No, get out of here,” Lucio snapped, waving his golden hand. Julian left the room, and your chest ached. 

 

There was a moment, and then you felt him sit on the edge of the bed. You looked at him, watching the edge of him in the candle light, his gleaming arm, his hair shining with torchlight. 

 

“You didn’t tell me it was doing this to you,”

 

“Why on earth would I?” You hissed, closing your eyes and moving to face away from him. “I do my job. I go to sleep afterward. Then I do my job again. Who cares if I stagger a little at the end of the day?”

 

“It’s been getting worse. You said it’s been getting worse,” Lucio said. You didn’t answer. You felt him shift uncomfortably. “Don’t you realise how this all makes  _ me _ feel?”

 

“If you feel like a pompous ass, then I’d say it took you too long,” You snapped, “It’s not about you. It has not shit to do with you or your  _ feelings _ . None of this is about you,”

 

“I brought you here. I asked you to do this. You’re doing it for my money, aren’t you?” He growled. He grabbed your face and turned you to face him. You snarled. “Why are you doing it if it’s not for me?”

 

You couldn’t think of an answer. The truth was that you didn’t have a reason. For all your animosity, all your complaining, all your reluctance… there wasn’t a thing keeping you there. You blinked. Your vision was coming back, and your eyes focused, immediately finding his. You scowled and pulled your face out of his grasp. 

 

“So you don’t have a reason, huh?” He snapped, kicking off his boots and tossing his cape on the ground, climbing into bed and framing you against the mattress. “You’re just playing at it, aren’t you? You can’t possibly hate me the way you say you do,”

 

You don’t. “I do,” You snapped, “I think you’re foul and terrible and reprehensible and revolting and… and…” Your hands found his thighs and squeezed, hard. You wished you could force yourself stronger, pin him down, slap that smirk off his face as he sat on your hips. 

 

“And?” he asked, bringing his face closer to yours. You pressed your fingers harder into his thighs. You wanted to bruise him. You wanted him to see your grip on him for days. To feel it muscle-deep. But the strength just wasn’t in you. 

 

“And vile… and… just generally an awful person…”

 

“An awful person who makes you so wet your drip, and who your choose to be around over your master and your lover… But I’ll let you have it, trickster. I’ll let you keep your comfortable lie… Is it my turn to talk?”

 

“Since when do you take turns?”

 

He laughed, grinding his hips down on you, and you groaned, exhausted, but you could feel your body growing hot, blood pooling under your skin. “You know we still haven’t really fucked. Threesomes hardly count. Think of what I could do to you if I had you in my bed all day tomorrow, just you and I and four meals delivered to the door. How many times could I make you cum? How many times would you let me draw my name from those lips?”

 

You swallowed, your eyes fluttering shut. You didn’t want to do this. No… you did want to do this, you wanted to do this more than anything on earth in that moment, but you knew that you shouldn’t, that it was bad, that it was wrong, that you were toying with his feelings now, being unfair, that you should shut it down…

 

But then he rolled his hips again and you could feel him through his stupid expensive trousers and you let yourself groan. His lips found your ear. “Think about all the fun we could have. In this bed. On this floor. Pinned up against my vanity so I could see your face as I fuck you from behind…”

 

You sneered. “You’d be too busy checking yourself out to notice me. That’s why you have that bigass painting, right? What do you do, whack off to it every night?”

 

“No, but if you’d like you can look at it while you ride me. Admire the likeness. It’s really very good, don’t you think?”

 

“The only way I could get off like that is if I could spit on it,”

 

“You could spit on me,” Lucio muttered, bringing his hands to your waist and grinding on you harder. You bit your lip. He was teasing you, you knew. “You could pin me, if you wanted. You could choke me, get me back, I could lay down for you, be good, be bad. I could do whatever you wanted me too, but you just have to keep your eyes, your hands, your mouth on me. Just me. I want to have you like you’ve got me…”

 

You froze. Your hands tightened on his hips and your eyes shot wide. This was  _ not _ what you had had planned. He leaned down, pressing his lips to yours, gentle, soft and wrong. You pushed him back.

 

“That’s not what this is,” you said sharply, “Not one bit. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Sire. This is… this is nothing. You’re married. I’m not interested. I’m not a courtesan, this isn’t the long game. We aren’t that. You don’t want me like that. You think you do but I promise you don’t. You’re not… I’m not… We aren’t ever going to be a thing,”

 

Lucio sat up again, straight-backed, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he took in every millimeter of your earnest face. “Why not?”

 

You paused.  _ Why not? _ “Why would I?” You asked. “Why would  _ you _ ?”

 

He hesitated, his eyes flicking faster around your face, like he was searching for the answer in your skin. You laughed. You shook your head. You pushed him off you lap and turned over, your back to him. 

 

“Neither of us have any reason to continue this. That’s a damn good reason to end it. Fuck your wife, not me, Sire,” You sat up, moving to stand, but you were pulled back by your shoulders, pinned to the bed, and Lucio loomed over you, glaring.

 

“I do. I have a reason. I want you. I want you any-fucking-way I can have you. If you won’t let me be gentle, if you don’t want this to be what I want this to be, then make it what you want. You don’t want me to be gentle? You don’t want me to kiss you? Fine. I’ll fuck you like a damn animal. You can be disposable. You can leave the palace tomorrow and never look back this way again. I won’t think of you twice once you’re gone. Is that what you want? A quick fuck? Nothing else? I’ll take that deal. Keep those eyes on me and I’ll fuck you rough, anything, everything. I’ll use you and throw you aside. Just like you want. Just say my name. Just look me in the face. Acknowledge me, gods damn it,” His chest was heaving, his eyes desperate. “Just say my name and I’ll fuck you brutal, trickster,”

 

You swallowed. His name fell to the tip of your tongue but you caught it. “I need to sleep...” You said, pushing his hands away and moving to sit up again. He caught you, a hand at your chest, a pain you didn’t feel in his voice. 

 

“Then sleep here… just for tonight…”

 

You sighed, squeezing your eyes shut. His bed was… so comfortable… and you were… so tired. But you knew exactly what you would do in the morning if you stayed. You knew your shallow self control would be dried upon sunrise, faster than morning dew. 

 

“Please,” He whispered, and your shoulders slumped into the mattress.  _ One last time. One last time and then you’re done. _

 

“Fine. But don’t you dare cross the middle of this bed or I’ll take your other arm,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Julian songs: 
> 
> From Eden, Hozier
> 
> Movement, Hozier
> 
> Apprentice:
> 
> Heaven In Hiding, Halsey
> 
> Haze, Tessa Violet
> 
> Lucio's dumb ass:
> 
> Without Me, Halsey
> 
> Break My Heart, Hey Violet
> 
> F U Till I F U, Call Me Karizma & Cass


	8. The Final Performance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our dear apprentice strikes a deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah next chapter is absolutely predictable after you read this one so :)  
> also you're legally required to forgive any mistakes i made becuase i have no energy to edit today

Halfway through the night, Lucio shifted, curling his arm around you and drawing you in. You were about to fight, but then he murmured something unintelligible.  _ He was asleep. _ He tucked his forehead against your shoulder blade, and hummed happily. You frowned. Part of you wanted to push him off, but you missed Julian, and if you ignored the way the room smelled, and imagined the faint scent of antiseptic, it almost felt like him. 

 

His hand tightened around you, and he gasped. You turned your head slightly, and he twitched.  _ Dream went bad… _ You turned around all the way and examined his face in the moonlight. His brow was drawn, his fist on your waist clenched hard now. He shifted again. You sighed, deciding against leaving him to his nightmare, and pressed a warm hand to his chest. His eyes flew open and he jerked awake, struggling to catch his breath. You sighed again. 

 

“It was just a dream. You woke me up, Sire,” You said, taking his hand off your waist and placing it firmly on the other side of the bed. He looked at you, confused. 

 

“You… woke me up…”

 

“That too,” You said, drawing back and settling into place. There was a moment of silence. 

 

“Thank you,” He breathed, then he rubbed his face. You snorted and shook your head.

 

“I hardly did it for you,” You said.  _ I’m becoming a liar. _ “It was more for myself than anything,”

 

“You’re becoming a liar,” He laughed. You scowled. “Suppose you always were though. Little sneak. Why else would you always hide your face. You’re the only citizen in Vesuvia who could wear no mask to the masquerade and still maintain your anonymity-“

 

You spun to him, trying to resist the urge to smack him. “Hold your tongue for once in your life gods damn it all-“ You snarled, “Or I’ll knock you out and leave you to whatever nightmare you tumble into,”

 

You could see the flash of his teeth and he turned to you, propping himself up with the stump of his arm. “Empty threats. I’ll believe it when I see it,”

 

You knew what he was doing, the game he was playing. Trying to get you mad so you’d touch him and whatever weird effect he had on you would take place, but you wouldn’t bite, you turned around. “You’re right. Empty threats. I’m a liar and a sneak and tomorrow I’ll sneak out of here while you’re sleeping and you’ll never see me again,”

 

There was a loaded pause, and then you were flat on your back and he was on top of you with his hand on your sternum pinning you flat and you wondered if he felt naked without the outer playing of his prosthetic on, because without them he felt lighter, like a different person. You looked up at him expectantly, and he didn’t disappoint.

 

“This night. And tomorrow. Forget the debt, paid for all five days, but your next performance is for me. Me alone,”

 

“And what tricks would you like me to do, Sire?” You asked, cocking an eyebrow in the dark, wondering if he could even see it. He shifted. You wondered what he was thinking.

 

“An illusion. They’re your specialty, right? Playing tricks on the eye, making people think something’s there when it’s not?”

 

You stared at him in the dark. “What illusion do you want? I can’t do magic again yet. It’ll damn near put me in a coma,”

 

There was another pregnant pause. “No magic. Just make me believe you want me. I know you don’t. I know it’ll be lights and air, I’m not a fool, but for a few hours, give me the performance of a lifetime,”

 

You scowled. You could say no. You could tell him you’d just do your light show and go debt free. You could tell him to stick it and pay extra taxes until you’d paid for his stupid clothes. You could flee Vesuvia.

 

You could play house for a few hours and then leave him behind and never think about him again. 

 

“You want me to… do what? Dominate you? Let you dominate me? Be your pet? Do you wanna drag me around the castle on a leash?”

 

“Uh… yes, all of that, but nothing’s planned. I want to do… exactly what you want to do. Just for a day. I want to feel what it would be like if… if you stayed,”

 

“If I stayed with you?”

 

“Yes,”

 

You were glad that the light barely made it possible to see his face. You were glad you couldn’t see the type of look in his eyes as he asked you for this. You don’t know what kind of desperation would lead to a request of this nature. 

 

“You want to know what it would be like if I wanted to make you mine?”

 

“ _ Yes, _ ” 

 

“Why ask for a taste of something you can’t have?”

 

“I’ve already had a taste, it’s already touched my tongue, I want to drink it in, get tipsy on you, if only once then I’ll take it, I just need a yes, just one yes… want me. Pretend to want me,” he sucked in a breath. “Just say my name…”

 

… You knew what you were going to do. You knew you were going to shatter your pride and wind up hurting him in the end. “Lucio…”

 

He jolted. He shuddered. His thighs snapped against you hips and squeezed. Even in the dark, you could see his eyes flutter and his back arch. 

 

“Ah…” He breathed, collapsing into you, bringing his face into the crook of your neck. He pressed his lips to your pulse and you felt him twitch against you. “P-please let me… let me-“

 

“I just have one question,” You growled, and he ground against you again at the sound of your voice, “I need to know the rules. You want a performance. But do you want me? Really me? Or do you want to be wanted completely? Do you want sweetness? What’s my character, give them to me so I can play my part,  _ Lucio _ ,”

 

His hips stuttered against you, and he twitched again, a breathy, half moan rising in his throat. “I want you. As close to the real you as I can get. Treat me like… treat me like you treat your lover…”

 

“I couldn’t do that if I wanted to,” You said coldly, “You aren’t them. You don’t have anything that they have. They’re the moon and you’re the tossing sea. Not even. You’re the dank depths of a cave underwater that I can’t escape. I’ll drown in you, you bastard, you just keep drawing me deeper,”

 

“How would your moon feel if they knew you were here with me?” He hissed against your skin. “How would this gentle light of yours feel to see you under me?”

 

You grit your teeth. You could give nothing away. “They don’t know. Now if you please, I want to sleep,”

 

“Let me hold you while you do,”

 

You put your hand on his hip and shifted him aside as you turned. “Fine. Hold me if you want, but let me sleep,”

 

He threw his arm over you and pulled you against him, nuzzling into your neck, and you stiffened, but after a few moments you relaxed into his grip. 

 

You didn’t fall asleep, though. You lay awake, wondering if you made the wrong choice. If you’re going too far. If all of this was really just a trick you were playing on yourself. 

 

You worried yourself into a frenzy. Your heart pounding in your chest, your breath short and shallow. You sat up, arching your back, leaning forward and clutching your stomach. You felt him shift behind you, sitting up straight. 

 

“... what…”

 

“I’m fine,” You gasped, “Go back to sleep…”

 

“Is it… are you reacting to what Jules gave you?” He asked sharply, reaching out and touching your shoulders with the gentleness that you hated. His claws were gone and it left the feeling of exposure, of a twisted type of nudity, a rose, thorns snapped away, raw and open wounds susceptible to infection. 

 

“No,” You said, shoulders heaving, “I’m… panicking,” 

 

There was a moment of silence. “Panicking?”

 

“Panicking,” You said, getting to your feet and immediately buckling. You sat, back against his high bed, and he Immediately slid from it to settle across from you, peering into your face, his hands hovering over your shoulders, hesitant, unsure what was happening. 

 

“How do I help you?” He asked, obviously beginning to panic as well. You shook your head. You knew what Asra always did when you panicked, but you didn’t think Lucio could, or would.

 

“You… no, you can’t,”

 

“What- Just tell me damn it, you stubborn witch!”

 

It was the name, what Julian called you, that did it. You squeezed your eyes shut and planted your head in his lap, reaching out and smacking his human hand against your back. “Just… touch. Slow,” You hissed, tears stinging your eyes. The irony, of course, of Lucio comforting you when he was indirectly the cause of the problem wasn’t lost on you, but his hand across your spine was almost as good as Asra’s warm fingers and you breathed deeply, pressing your cheek hard against his thigh and counting your painful heartbeats. 

 

You didn’t know how long it took, but your heartbeat settled, and your tears dried, and you were left with the ache and the shame that always followed your attacks. You got up from Lucio’s lap, wiped your eyes and ruffled your hair, letting out a heavy breath and looking away, almost cracking your neck in the attempt to obscure your face from his view. 

 

“So… sorry about that…”

 

“What the hell just happened?”

 

“I get… Fits of terror… over little things…” you said, making no attempt to be understood, “My master… calms me down from them. When he’s around,”

 

“He’s not… always around? You’re his apprentice, you spend a lot of time together don’t you?”

 

You paused. It was none of his business, but he had just stroked your back for a half and hour while you sobbed into his trousers for no apparent reason. With a sigh, you turned back to face him, still keeping your eyes on the side table next to you. “No. He’s… never around. Well- not never! I shouldn’t say  _ never… _ just. My master is often gone…”

 

“Your master is often gone…” Lucio echoed, his eyes fixed on your face. You sniffed.

 

“Yeah, he’s not the stay-at-home sort,”

 

“What do you do about your terror when he’s not around?”

 

You bit your lip. Lucio was the last person on the planet you wanted to talk about your mental health with. 

 

“I curl up on the ground and wait it out,” You snapped, standing up and wiping your face again. You turned around and began struggling with your top. Lucio stood up behind you.

 

“You… deal with that by yourself?” He asked. You scoffed.

 

“I’m not a child,” You said, “Lend me one of your shirts. I assume we’ll be in your room all day?”

 

Lucio strode over to his dresser and pulled out a loose white shirt. He turned and walked back to you, the soft cloth in his golden hand, and sat on the edge of the bed, looking up into your face. You pulled off your shirt and trousers, then pulled his on and sat next to him. There was a moment of silence, but then he turned to you.

 

“Your master sounds like a shit person,” He snapped, face suddenly angry. You bristled, turning to face him and glaring at his collarbone. 

 

“Hey! Asra is an amazing person!” You snapped, “And you have no right to call anyone anything! You’re terrible!”

 

“Who could… who could leave you?” He said. A chill went down your spine. Was… was he thinking the same thing that Julian did? “He’s gotta be an idiot to leave a hot piece of ass like you unattended…”

 

_ There it goes… _ “It’s absolutely not like that between he and I,” You said, turning to him and scowling. “I get so sick of this! This concept that everyone has that he and I can’t coexist and live together and share our bed without it being-”

 

“You share a bed?” Lucio snapped, leaping to his feet. You got up too.

 

“Yes! I share a bed with my master and we-”

 

But you were being pushed back onto the bed, hands hooked under your knees and his face inches from yours, your aching heart racing in an entirely different way as he met your gaze. “He’s an idiot. A fool. A simpleton. To share a living space, a kitchen, a moment with you and not ache to have you is either impossible or the work of a heart with no feeling. I know. I’ve slept beside you. You draw all eyes to yourself without even trying, trickster, and your master is an idiot for not marking you as his,” His hands jerked, and he was between your legs, his hands catching yours and pinning them above your head. “But it’s too late, and now I have you. I’m your master today, trickster,”

 

And then he pressed his lips to yours, soft and needy and demanding, his hands unwinding from yous, wandering down your arms, over the cloth of his shirt that you wore and down your sides, playing for a moment with its hem before sliding up your thighs, growing more possessive there, gripping, kneading at the muscle, drawing back as he bit your lip and panted for breath. He parted from you, stepping back and taking you in. He looked like a man lost, hopeless, mesmerised. You turned your face away, bringing a hand over your burning cheek, but he reached down and took your wrist, pulling you up until you were sitting, looking down at his waistband and breathing shallow. 

 

“No one else will ever get to see you like this,” He said, his metal and curling around your wrist, “This sight belongs to me. You here, lips bruised, hair messy,” He plucked at the soft fabric of his shirt at your neck, “Only in this… I own this moment,”

 

“If you say so…”

 

“You look like sin,” He said, pulling you to your feet. You moved easily at his touch, the warmth in you growing stronger as he walked around you, his human hand trailing over the fabric, so light it was barely a touch, sending shivers of anticipation through you. “You  _ look _ like you’re mine,” He paced around to the front of you and tilted your head, looking at the healing love bites on your neck. “But these… these aren’t mine…”

 

He gripped your neck, not tightly, but possessive, his thumbs finding your chin and tilting your head up toward his. You kept your eyes low, your face impassive, even as your breath caught in your chest. 

 

“Get on your knees,”

 

You’d never admit how quick you dropped. Fast enough to bruise, to make you shudder. His metallic fingers carded through your hair. He tilted your head back up. Taking you in, taking it slow. You knew what was coming. Your body trembled with it. Your heart throbbed. You bit your lip, exhaling hard. Your eyes slid closed. 

 

“You look like you’re meant to be here. On your knees in front of me. You’re meant to be here,” He leaned forward, gripping the bed post hard with his human hand. “What do you want?”

 

You were silent. Were you really going to ask to do it? Were you going to cross that line? “I want to suck your cock, Sire,” You said, voice rough.  _ Guess so, damn. _

 

Lucio’s hips twitched toward you, and his hand tightened around the railing. “Do you?” He hissed, rubbing your scalp soothingly. You let your head move with it, your eyes sliding closed again. “Do you want this cock?”

 

“Yes, Sire,”

 

Another heated pause. His hand tightened in your hair. “Nothing’s stopping you,” He cooed. You opened your eyes wide and met his. His hips twitched again and he swallowed.

 

“I’d like your permission, Sire,” You whispered, leaning forward, running your fingers across his waistband and smirking, “Can I…  _ please,  _ Lucio?” 

 

He moaned, cocking his hips and pulling your hair. He bit his lips and nodded, whining desperately as you grinned and pulled his trousers down. His dick was already hard, maybe just because it was the morning, but you doubted it. You slid your hand over his length and looked up at him innocently. “Tell me if it’s too much,” You said. His brow furrowed for a moment, but then he gasped as you swallowed him down as far as you could. 

 

His eyes fluttered, and his hips thrust shallowly into your mouth as you swallowed around him, moving quickly over him and occasionally drawing back slow, sucking hard. Lucio seemed lost for words. You would have teased him… if you weren’t otherwise occupied. 

 

So instead of teasing him about being easy to please, you decided to play a game. Every time you could tell he was getting close, getting remotely near finishing, you drew back, pretending to gasp for air.

 

It didn’t take long until he got frustrated. 

 

“What would your lover say. Did you do this to them? Is that why you’re so good? You’ve been on your knees all over this palace, huh? Did they stroke your hair? Tell you how good you were? A filthy commoner doesn’t deserve a mouth like this, little love. This mouth should be mine. You look beautiful with your mouth around my dick. You take it so good, such a good little sneak. A talented performer. Worth every penny,” He moaned again, bucking his hips, and you drew back, panting and letting your tongue remain visible and you tilted your head lazily in his hand. His hips snapped forward in a frustrated way. 

 

“What would your  _ master _ do if he saw you like this?” Lucio asked, his voice running through you like electricity. You couldn’t help it. You twitched. You sat up a little straighter. Lucio grinned. “Oh… that was something… Do you think he’d be ashamed to see his little student swallowing around my dick?”

 

You blushed hard as he said it, flushing as he pressed the head against your lips again. His smile changed a little, his eyes growing hooded as he looked down at you. 

 

“Or… do you think he’d like it?” He cooed, stroking your hair away from your face. “Do you think he’s wanted you like this for years? Do you think he’s dreamt of it, with you stretched out beside him, inches away, those lips looking sinful in the half light…” You took him into your mouth, hoping he would stop. You couldn’t stand how much the idea of Asra wanting you effected you. You could feel yourself beginning to drip down your thighs. You swallowed, and the Count’s hips twitched, but he could see the way your eyes fluttered, and your cheeks burned. “I bet he’s taken care of himself while you slept, imagining it. I wonder how many lessons he spent fantasising about having you stretched out around him, how many nights he’s wished he could slide his cock between your lips…”

 

You moaned, and Lucio’s other hand flew to your head. Your eyes met his again, and something in him broke. “I… I have to…”

 

He rutted shallowly against your face, and you hummed, throwing yourself into it, but he sped up, and your hands found his thighs as he fucked your throat mercilessly. After a few moments, he bit his lip and whined. “I’m going to…” And he moved to pull out, but you grabbed his hips and held him still, glaring up at him as you swallowed desperately around him as he came down your throat. His mouth fell open in shock. His knees buckled. He barely managed to pull out before collapsing in front of you and leaning on you. You caught him, and he mumbled wordlessly before managing a shaky “Oh…  _ Gods… _ ”

 

You grunted before lifting him up onto the bed and dumping him onto it, sighing heavily before climbing up next to him and laying on your stomach, throwing your arm over him. He hummed happily and cuddled into your side. 

 

“So you want there to be something between you and your master, then?” Lucio asked after a moment. You scowled and turned toward him. 

 

“Guess what’s none of your business?” You growled, your voice sounding fucked out and dirty. Lucio hummed, reaching up and pressing his fingers to your lips, parting them, watching them with interest. You moved forward and bit his fingertip. 

 

“Let’s sleep,” You said, voice still painted with what you’d done. Lucio cooed, and you dragged the covers over the pair of you, waiting until he was under to shift away and turn your back on him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Nicotine, Panic! At The Disco
> 
> You Really Shouldn't've, Chlara


	9. Act 1, A Taste Of Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our darling apprentice takes some dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments make my day!!! also uh... if you guys wanna scream about headcanons and stuff my arcana blog on tumblr is caspianofthedead too so like... requests, screaming, thirst... all welcome

You woke back up after the sun was streaming through the window to the feeling of Lucio’s hands on your hips and his lips on the back of your neck. Your throat was a little sore, and you laughed half heartedly as you rubbed your eyes. 

 

“You really don’t waste any time, huh?” You said, voice still scratchy. Lucio grinned. His eyeliner was smudged on his cheeks and his hair was a little dishevelled, and if you didn’t know him, you would say the expression on his face was cute. 

 

“I do only have one day…” He rumbled, pulling his shirt up around your waist and running his human fingers over your skin.

 

You shook your head. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this… all that money for just one day...”

 

“Wouldn’t you rather spend a day in paradise then have never felt it at all?”

 

“Better not to know what you’re missing, because then you don’t miss it,” You said, shrugging. He shook his head. 

 

“But I know what I’m missing…” He said. He pulled you flush against him, pushing his hand between your legs and holding you tight. You blushed. He had to feel how wet you were. “It’s too late to pretend. I’ll take whatever part of you you’ll give me and keep it. Maybe you don’t want me one way, but you can’t pretend I don’t turn you on, because I can  _ feel _ it. And you might think all I’m doing is taking you for a day and letting you go, but you’re never going to forget how good this felt either. I’m going to be the best you ever had, trickster, and you’ll always wonder what could have been if you’d been good for me and stayed,”

 

You bit your lip. You couldn’t help yourself… you almost believed him. With his fingertips teasing at your entrance and your cheeks burning, you made a call. You pulled his hand from you and turned, grabbing both his wrists and pinning them above his head, you straddled him.

 

“You have no clue how high that bar might be,” You sneered, “How far do you have to go to reach it? And it’s a bold assumption as well that you’ll be the one doing the fucking, Sire,” You leaned down, bringing your lips close to his, tilting your head. He swallowed, his face flushed. You both knew in a real struggle that metal arm of his would have you on your back in seconds, you both knew you were just playing at restraint. He let his vision trail slowly down over you, lingering on where the shirt he had lent you gathered over your thighs and between your legs. 

 

“What are you going to do?” Lucio asked, voice almost raspy with desire. You grinned.

 

“Whatever I want, wasn’t that the point?” You teased, rocking your hips. He inhaled sharply, his eyes squeezing shut. You pressed down hard on his wrists, probably bruising the human one, and you laughed under your breath. “You want to know how I’d handle you if you were mine? You wanna see what it’d be like if I took you in hand?”

 

Lucio nodded, biting his lip and keeping his eyes fixed on your face.

 

“Well then I’m going to need you to reassure me that I can ruin some more clothes,” 

 

“Ruin anything you want, I can afford it,” He said, voice a half whimper as he canted his hips up toward you. You laughed, running your hands down his arms. Once you reached his chest he instantly had his hands on you, gripping your hips, running his hands over your thighs, wrapping around your waist. You snatched his wrists again and slammed them against the headboard, bringing your face close to his again. 

 

“Did I say you could touch me? Keep your fucking hands where I put them,” You snarled, and he actually whined, shifting his hips and pushing back.

 

“But… I want to feel you-“ 

 

“You’ll do as your told,” You snapped, shifting your grip so that both of his wrists were in one hand and grasping his chin with the other, “Or there’ll be trouble,”

 

“Maybe I want trouble…” Lucio growled, grinding his hips against you again. 

 

“Well then keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll find it. I thought you wanted to be good for me. Don’t you want to be good for me?”

 

Lucio whimpered, and you ran you fingers through his hair, giving it a gentle tug and then reaching down, grasping the collar of his shirt in both hands and ripping it down the middle. Lucio arched when you did it, flushing and looking desperate as you shifted down, grasping his trousers and yanking them off. he bit his lip as you stood up and walked around the bed. 

 

“Sit up,” You snapped. He shot up, so fast that even you felt dizzy, And fixed his eyes on you. You climbed onto the bed and slid behind him, pulling his ruined shirt off of his shoulders and down to his wrists. You tied the tattered fabric there, and pulled him flush against you, letting his tied hands find their way between your legs. He moaned when his human hand felt how wet you were, and immediately made to slide his fingers inside of you, but you jerked back.

 

“Ah, ah… no cheating. Just because I let you touch doesn’t mean you can just do what you want…”

 

“ _ Please, _ Trickster,  _ please _ …”

 

You stroked his hair gently, smiling at how messy it was. He looked good with bed head. “I like it when you beg,” You hissed in his ear. He tried to stifle his whine, and you laughed, pressing your mouth to his shoulder. “You should get on your knees,” 

 

You pulled away as he struggled up onto his knees, huffing and muttering about how it would be easier if his hands weren’t tied, but you looked around the room and got off the bed again. You threw open the doors of his closet, hunting for something specific. 

 

He whined loudly. “Come back!” You glanced over at him. 

 

“I’ll come back when I want to. You can wait,” You bent down to rummage around the closet floor, pulling forward a wooden box. You heard him groan from the bed. 

 

“I changed my mind! I want to be in charge again!” He whined. You scoffed.

 

“No you didn’t, you’re just complaining because you aren’t getting what you want. Well newsflash,  _ Lucio _ , the world doesn’t turn at your command,”

 

“The world may not, but you  _ should _ ,” He snapped. You grinned as you flipped the box open and found what you had been looking for. 

 

“Mercedes outgrew this, huh? but… looks like it’s the perfect size for another badly behaved creature I know…” You turned, unclamping the strong golden collar, letting the chain leash attached to it drag along the ground and climbing back up onto the bed. You clipped it around his neck and grinned. His eyes were wide and fixed on your face again, his bottom lip catching between his teeth.

 

“Are you seriously putting a  _ collar _ on me?” He tried to scoff, but didn’t quite pull it off through the needy whine in his voice. You looked him in the eyes and smiled serenely. 

 

“Well of course,” You said, wrapping the chain around your hand, “You’re acting like a whiny bitch, afterall,” You yanked the chain, and Lucio yelped, flopping face first down onto the bed. 

 

You reached forward and ran your fingertips lightly up and down his back, and he keened, arching slightly under your touch. When you drew back, he whined and threw himself on his side dramatically, looking up at you. “You’re just being spiteful now,” He panted, face flushed. You smiled.

 

“Maybe,” You pushed him onto his back and tugged lightly on the leash, just to remind him you had it in your hand, and moved around, sitting on his thighs and looking down at him. He wiggled, shifting himself until he was comfortable and looking up at you expectantly. You tilted your head.

 

“What?” You asked, your smile growing a little more devious. Lucio frowned- almost pouted- and wiggled again.

 

“You’re just looking at me…”

 

“Well, you all tied up and silent is a surprisingly nice sight. I think I might gag you, just to keep it that way,” You smiled again at the thought of Lucio having to keep his thoughts to himself. He, however, didn’t seem to relish the idea as much as you did.

 

“Rude,” He whined, bucking his hips like he was trying to dislodge you. You yanked the leash and made him sit up straight, shifting forward and grinding down on his lap. He bucked his hips against you. “Gods, you’re so fucking wet, let me fuck you, I could just slide in like this… ride me,”

 

“What is it-” You got up off his lap, kneeling over him and pulling the collar until you could lace your fingers under it, “-about ‘you’re not in charge anymore’-” you bring your face nearer his, snarling as he looked up at you, “-are you not understanding?”

 

He swallowed and licked his lips, fidgeting nervously. His eyes flicked down over you, and he seemed like he was trying to make a decision. After a moment he swallowed again and met your eyes. “Either do something, or untie me so that I can get this going,”

 

You smacked him across the face, barely hard enough to make a sound, but he jerked and his jaw dropped. You backed up, toward the pillows, and pulled him with you, forcing him to scramble around and buckle forward. You sat back and pulled on his collar again. “You’ve got a smart little mouth that should be put to better use,” 

 

His eyes shot wide, and he looked down at where your legs were parted. You cocked an eyebrow. 

 

“What, you can talk all big but you can’t do anything useful with that tongue? Get to it,” You snapped, letting go of his collar. He whined and pressed his head between your thighs. You smiled, running your fingers through his hair and lacing the chain through your fingers, letting him feel the metal against his scalp. He ran his tongue along your slit, tracing in circles around your clit before flicking back and forth over it. You gasped, pushing yourself harder against him and tightening your grip in his hair. He moaned against you and sucked hard, making you buck into him and gasp again, harder this time. You looked down at him, biting your lip, and he was watching you with heat in his eyes as he went back to flicking his tongue over you. 

 

You could see his muscles, all down his body, tensing and barely relaxing as he fought to stay up, trying not to collapse into the mattress without his hands for support, and you smirked. “Does Nadia make you do this?” You asked. He shook his head a little before pushing his tongue as deeply as he could manage into you. 

 

“She doesn’t? She doesn’t put that mouth of yours to use? I’m shocked. Does she really never let you fuck her alone?”

 

He just moaned and sucked your clit again, making you jump and grind against him a little without meaning to. He started shifting his arms desperately, trying to get free of the remains of his shirt. You yanked his collar back, pulling him off of you and glowering down at him. 

 

“You better quit that shit right now, or I’ll tie you to the bedpost and leave you there while I take care of this myself. Is that what you want? You want to sit there and watch while I...? Or maybe I should call Nadia in here and she can take care of it while you think about what you’ve done,”

 

“No,” He snapped, “You’re mine today, that’s the deal,” 

 

“Then fucking behave yourself,” You growled, shoving him back again and crawling over him. You pressed a quick kiss to his messy lips and then positioned yourself over his face. He leaned back, pressing his cheek to your inner thigh.

 

“You should let me use my hands… I can make you cum faster like that… please?”

 

“What, you can’t eat an orgasm out of me, Lucio?” You cooed, shifting you hips back, “If you can’t do it…”

 

“No! No, I can do it, give it back,” He snapped, leaning up and pressing his face back into you as soon as he could. He seemed to have reached a new point of determination. After a few more minutes, your thighs were shaking, and you jerked.

 

“Ah, Lucio, I’m-”

 

At the sound of his name, he arched and pressed harder against you, the pressure sending you over the edge. You collapsed forward, careful not to bear down on his face, and whined into the comforter as you rode out your orgasm. He kept his tongue moving as you twitched against him, making you huff. Eventually it became too much, and you pulled your hips away from him. He whined as you did, starting to struggle against his bindings again. You pulled his chain.

 

“I didn’t want to stop!” He barked, trying to sit up as you rolled to the side, trying to catch your breath.

 

“You’re going to eat me into a coma,” You snapped, pressing your thighs together and running your hands down your sides, pulling your sweaty shirt back into place. He groaned and thrust his hips upward shallowly. 

 

“Maybe I  _ want _ to eat you into a coma,” He growled. You laughed, bringing your hands to your hair and pushing it back from your face. You looked down at his erection, flushed red and painful looking. You reached out, trailing your hand slowly down his chest, then his stomach, following the little trail of hair from his belly button downward. He keened, pushing his hips up into your hand, and you grinned, pulling your hand back up again. 

 

“It’s a shame we don’t always get what we want, Sire,”

 

“I swear to the gods when you untie me I’m going to make you  _ so _ sorry,”

 

“Oh yeah?” 

 

“Yeah,” He growled, and you smiled, leaning in and pressing your lips to his neck.

 

“How so?” You asked, kissing along his pulse and nipping at his ear, “How exactly do you plan on making me feel sorry?”

 

A muscle in Lucio’s jaw tensed as you ran your hands down his sides, over his hips, along his thighs. 

 

“I’m going to fuck you so hard and so long that you’re ruined for anyone else. Every single time you fuck anyone else you’ll compare it to me, bending you over and plowing into you, making you cum around my cock, pinning you down and you’ll be the one begging, I mean it, you’ll think of me, your ass is mine. You’ll regret making this our last day, Trickster, you’ll wish every lover you open your legs to was  _ half _ of me,”

 

You laughed, reaching down and wrapping your hand around him, just gently, a light touch, and sliding your hand over him, making him whimper and rut up into your hand. You smiled, biting the juncture of his neck and shoulder hard, and he jerked beneath you, pulling away a little, and you let him go, propping yourself up as you pumped his dick slowly, teasingly.

 

“You sure do think a lot of your own skill, Sire,” You teased, “What if every fuck I have is like this? What if I just bring out the best in people?”

 

“I don’t doubt that,” He breathed, arching, thrusting shallowly into your hand, “But the best in me is unbeatable,”

 

You grinned and pumped your hand over him a little harder, robbing him of his voice for a moment as he jerked upward, muscles tense. He let out a gasp, struggling for breath, and his hips twitched hopefully-

 

Then you let go, grinning as he gasped for breath and let out a stream of swearwords and pleas. 

 

“What the hell? I was so close!”

 

“Sorry,” You said, shifting down and pressing a kiss to the head of his throbbing dick. He whimpered. 

 

“Please, please, I’ll do anything, please,” 

 

You grinned and drew your tongue up the underside of his dick again, swallowing him down quickly and bobbing your head. He groaned and made to rut up into your mouth, but you pressed his hips into the bed, sucking hard and drawing back as he whimpered desperately. It was hardly a minute before he was ready again, thrusting as much as he could against you…

 

And you pulled off of him with a pop and a satisfied smile.

 

“Fucking asshole!” He snarled, struggling against his shirt and glaring at you. “Let me cum, gods damn it, I need to cum-“

 

“Shut your mouth and watch how you talk to me,” You snapped, yanking his leash again and kneeling. He watched you, eyes desperate, and you tilted your head. 

 

“You don’t deserve to cum. And you don’t deserve me to treat you nice either. If you’re not going to be thankful that I’m playing with you, then I’m going to play all by myself,”

 

“ _ No _ ,” Lucio groaned desperately, but you already had your hand between your legs, tracing over yourself slowly, just as much to tease yourself as him, watching you with desperation in his eyes. You smiled, slipping one, then two fingers inside of yourself, slowly opening yourself as Lucio propped himself up on his elbows, watching you with a wild hunger in his eyes. 

 

You worked yourself up, playing yourself out how you did when you were alone, eventually falling back, closing your eyes, letting yourself think the wild thoughts you usually did, drawing yourself out, and letting yourself cum, all while knowing Lucio was watching. You rode out your short orgasm and lay breathless, staring at the top of the four poster and letting your thighs fall back together. 

 

“Let me fuck you already, this just isn’t fair!” Lucio whined, and you looked over at him just in time to watch him flop back onto the comforter. You laughed again.

 

“Who said you get to fuck me?” You asked, laying back and rubbing your thighs together. Lucio propped himself up again and stared at you.

 

“What?”

 

You shook his chain, letting it clink, and you smiled, closing your eyes and making a show of settling in comfortably. “I bet you want me to let you crawl up here and stick it in, huh? You wanna come up here and fill me up with your dick, right? You wanna cum in me, hook my knees over your shoulders, watch it leak out until you’re ready to do it again? Well sucks to be you. You don’t deserve to cum. You’re a bratty little snot and I don’t fuck brats,”

 

Lucio growled low in his throat, and you peeked at him out of one eye. 

 

“What’s wrong? Not what you wanted to hear?”

 

“You can say what you like,” Lucio snapped, “But I know you want me just as bad as I want you. The brat here is you, too stubborn to admit that you want me to split you in half with this cock,”

 

You smirked. “Mm, if you want to see who wins a waiting game… I have my hands free and I  _ love  _ an audience”

 

“Okay, that’s it,” 

 

There was a loud rip as Lucio tore his hands free and lunged across the bed. You yelped as he grabbed your knees and dragged you across the comforter, pushing himself between your legs and pressing his lips to your neck. He bit down after a half a second, frantically running his hands over you, ripping the shirt you were wearing open and pressing his mouth to yours hungrily. He pressed his dick up against you, and you whined, still so sensitive from your last orgasm. You arched under him, and he backed up, grabbing your hands and pinning them either side of your head. 

 

“You’re a filthy little cock tease, you know that?” He growled, grinding against you, “You’re so fucking sexy and you’re just fucking intolerable and all I want to do is make you fucking cry,” He ground against you again and snarled, “I’m going to fuck you until you can’t see straight, okay? I’m going to fuck you until you’re shaking like the dirty little slut you are, and you’re going to thank me for it,”

 

“Then do it already, coward, I’m waiting,” 

 

Lucio growled low in his throat and thrust into you, making you arch and lose your breath, your eyes rolling back as his hands wandered down your body again. 

 

“Ah…” You whined, your eyes fluttering closed as he started fucking into you slow, hard, ramming against you enough to jolt your whole body and then pulling you back in, drawing a whimper from you each and every time he snapped his hips forward and ground into you.

 

“You love this,” He hissed, “You belong like this, stretched out around my cock and flushed all pretty like that, so good, just whimpering, it’s good when you can’t use that smart little mouth of yours to do anything but whine,” He snapped his hips forward hard, and your eyes flew open as you arched.

 

“Lucio!” You moaned, shifting your hips in his grip as he ground deeper into you. He sneered.

 

“Oh, fuck, I’m gonna…” He paused, catching his breath, then he drew his hand along your thighs, grabbing them, pushing them forward, curling you in on yourself. You swore. 

 

“I don’t- bend like… fuck!” You whined as he rammed himself deeper-impossibly deep- inside you, filling you completely, making your mind go blank. Your fingers wrapped with the chain of his leash, tugging hard on it, you pulled him in closer, bending him too. He huffed, slamming into you and making your vision go white.

 

“You gave me some fucking ideas, witch,” He growled, fucking into you, “I wanna fill you up. I wanna…” He groaned as you shifted, tightening around him, “I’m gonna fucking… watch it leak outta you when I make you cum… again and again…” He bit his lip and you whined, reaching up and burying the nails of your free hand into his arm and closing your eyes. His hips hitting yours shook you to your core and you gasped, trying to fill your lungs.

 

“Lucio, oh my gods, I c-c-can’t!” You arched and came again, feeling your whole body tense with it, your muscles twitching, and you couldn’t describe the desperate, needy sound you made. Lucio leaned down and bit your shoulder hard as he came, rocking his hips shallowly and you could feel him pulse, the way he was pumping you full, gripping your legs, his teeth buried into your skin, you knew you’d have marks for weeks to remind you of this feeling.

 

You reached up and ran your fingers through his hair, stroking it gently and humming. “You want me to take the collar off, Sire?”

 

He eased up on the bite, pressing a kiss to it and humming. “No,” He said, “I liked fucking you with it on,”

 

You laughed. “You are terribly behaved. I think I might need to devise a punishment for this…”

 

Lucio groaned. “Keep saying things like that and I won’t even need to pull out before round two,” His hips twitched at the idea. “Oh, maybe I’ll do that, fuck you full and stay in you, just keep pumping you-“

 

“Oh gods, you’re too much. I need to take a contraceptive,”

 

There was a moment’s pause. “What if you didn’t?” He twitched inside of you. You raised your eyebrows.

 

“I’m not having your stupid kids-“

 

But he was getting hard again inside you, a glazed look on his face. Whatever he was thinking now, he wasn’t sharing. You tilted your head. You could interrupt him, shake him out of his fantasy, or you could let him think his thoughts. He looked mistified, as though whatever he was imagining was the most charming idea he’d ever thought of. You bit your lip and let him think it as he let your thighs fall to his sides. 

 

He started thrusting shallowly against you, And you writhed, feeling overstimulated and shaky as he wrapped his metal arm around you, pulling you up and fucking upward into you. You huffed, letting your arms fall to his shoulders and pouting. 

 

“What are you doing?” You whined, letting yourself slump forward against him, resting your cheek on his shoulder. He gripped your waist and hissed a little.

 

“I told you, I’m going to fuck you until you’re ruined for anyone else,”

 

You whined, moving to twitch away, but he dragged you back. “S-safeword… we need… a safeword…”

 

“We can make it Sire and you can just keep calling me my name,” Lucio said through gritted teeth. He ground deep into you, and you could feel his cum leaking out over him. You swallowed.

 

“Potions,” You hiss, “safeword potions if either of us… too much,”

 

“Okay,” He said, “Potions, got it,” He ground up against you and you whined.

 

“Oh my gods…” 

 

Lucio laughed, pressing his lips over your bruise and picking up his pace, snapping his hips harder against you, making you stiffen again and gasp, raking your nails down his back and squeezing your eyes shut. You felt the tug of the leash as you pulled your hand away, and brought it up toward you. You let your eyes slide open again and caught his metal arm with your other hand, pulling it from your side. You brought yourself up on shaking legs and slid yourself down over him as your eyes met his.

 

“The fuck are you laughing at?” You breathed, slowly moving your hips up again, so slow it was teasing, a dare. “What’s that little fantasy you’re playing out in your head, stupid? You thinking about breeding me or something? Pumping me full of your cum, pinning me down and fucking to make something other than a mess?”

 

He whined, thrusting upward a little, and you laughed. 

 

“You can think about it, if you want. You like the idea of it, don’t you? You want it running down my legs at the end of this, don’t you? You can feel it now, you know,” You let go of his metal hand and grasped his other, bringing his fingers in between your legs, pressing them to where you met. He gasped, drawing his fingers along the mix of your cum and his.

 

“Holy shit,” He hissed, flicking his fingers across your clit again as you kept yourself moving over him. You wrapped his leash tighter around your fist and pulled him closer, pressing your forehead against his. He hummed, bringing his metal hand back up between you and he and wrapping it around your throat, gently, holding it possessively and pressing upward with his hips, grinding deeply. You gasped quietly. He pressed his mouth softly to yours, too softly, too gentle. You whined and leaned back, but his hand came with you, and his grip twitched a little tighter as he picked up his pace. 

 

“You look good in gold. So good. I should buy you jewels. Jewels and gold. Dress you in it, maybe chain you up in it, wrap you head to toe,” He pressed your throat a little harder and moved his hand quickly against you. “Have you your own little version of a collar made, one just for you, replace all these cheap chords with something real,” he looped his thumb through a black chord at your throat and tugged. You smirked.

 

“I wouldn’t wear it,” You sneered. He snapped his hips up into you hard and pulled you back in. 

 

“You’d wear it if I told you to, Trickster, I think we both know you don’t have it in you to say no to me. You’ve got it just as bad as I do, even if you’re being a stubborn little liar,”

 

You laughed. “A stubborn little liar, huh?”

 

“If you hate me so much then why do you want me so bad?” He growled, flicking his fingers across your clit again and smiling as you gasped and writhed. “If you despise me as much as you claim to, how come you cum so fucking hard when I touch you?”

 

His grip tightened again, pressure began to build in your temples, and you glared at him. He grinned. 

 

“I caught you out. You can’t lie to me,” He laughed, “You’re looking me in the eye now and I see the truth there… Love, you want this like I do,” he slammed up into you and you gasped. Your eyes fluttered shut.

 

“Lucio, I can’t fucking… cum again… I’ll… oh, god,” You sobbed as he pressed down on you clit, and you arched in his grip, pressing your chest against him and twitching. You bit your lip and held back a scream. 

 

“My name, say my name…” He hissed, pressing his face into your collarbone, kissing your skin. You shook again. 

 

“Ah… L-Lucio…” You whined, squeezing your legs around him as you trembled with your orgasm. He groaned and buried himself in to the hilt, grinding against you and cumming again, deep in you. He let go of your neck and wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you close as he thrust shallowly into you. You threw your arms around his shoulders and undid his collar, blinking stars out of your eyes and looking down at him. He looked… peaceful. His eyes closed, riding out the waves of his orgasm and pressing his lips to your skin, he looked like a man in prayer. You dropped the collar and ran your fingers through his hair.

 

“You did good,” You sigh, shifting a little. He gripped you tighter. 

 

“Lay with me…”

 

“I have to take a contraceptive-”

 

“There’s one in the drawer, just wait… wait one second…” He hissed, keeping his lips to your skin and his eyes tight shut. You hummed, waiting three whole seconds before pushing him off and pulling away, perching on the side of the bed and reaching down into the drawer, shuffling through bottles. There were a lot of oil, and a bottle of what looked suspiciously like honey, so it took you a moment to find the contraceptive. When you did, you uncorked if and took it like a shot, shuddering at the taste. 

 

“Gross,” You said, looking down over yourself, covered in bruises, old scratches and cum. You sighed. “We should bathe…”

 

Lucio whined, scooting up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist. “You promised me a day in this room…”

 

“You need to go and order meals to be delivered anyway. Get dressed, go get them to run a bath and drop off some food in here while we scrub up,” You patted his arms awkwardly, but he huffed and pressed his lips to your shoulder. 

 

“You’re a bossy little commoner…”

 

“Keep calling me that when we aren’t fucking and I’ll-”

 

“Tie me up with my shirt and tease me again? I’m  _ so  _ scared…”

 

“I’ll walk out of here naked and let everyone know what I look like in your torn shirt,”

 

His grip on you tightened drastically, and he hauled you back onto the bed. “No you don’t!” He growled, rolling the pair of you over so that you were pressed into the bed with his weight on top of you. You grunted, wiggling until you could look at him out of the corner of your eye. He bit your ear playfully, then pouted. “I’m the only one who gets to see you like this,”

 

“Then mind your manners,” You laughed, “For once,”   
  


“Let’s… let’s just lay here for a little bit before I order the food and the bath,”

 

“But I’m sticky,” You huffed as he slid off you and drew you into his chest. He laughed.

 

“I know, that’s why I want to wait. I like you all sticky with my cum, Trickster. It’s actually the best thing I’ve had you wear yet,”

 

“Oh, you’re intolerable,” You grumbled, suppressing a yawn. He grinned mischievously.

 

“You seem to tolerate me just fine, inside and out,” 

 

You reached behind yourself and grasped a pillow, wholloping him with it as he laughed at you. You smiled and dragged the pillow back, wedging it beneath your head and looking at him again. “Okay, we’ll lay here for a while,”

 

“Good,” Lucio beamed, pulling you closer and pressing his head into the pillow beside yours. You rolled your eyes, but bit your lip to suppress a smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> songs: 
> 
> R U Mine, Arctic Monkeys
> 
> Do I Wanna Know, Arctic Monkeys
> 
> Fuqboi, Hey Violet
> 
> S.L.U.T, Bea Miller


	10. Act 2, The Problem With Riches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you just gotta... finger the Count of the city you live in. You just gotta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's DRUNK AGAIN (it's me) (send me requests on my tumbrl)

After a few minutes, Lucio had finally groaned and gotten up, forcing himself to get dressed and bark orders at servants. He called for a bath to be drawn and food to be delivered, just like you’d told him to, though far less politely than you would have liked. When he returned, he pulled one of his silken robes around your shoulders and swept you off your feet, carrying you to his own private bath. 

 

The bathroom was magnificent, the bath itself sunken into the marble floor, the white tiles grouted with gold, each and every crack in the stone filled with precious metal. Shelves were filled with expensive bath products, most of which were completely untouched. The walls were painted a rich, almost overwhelming red. Washing the entire scene in a rosy glow.  

 

You pushed yourself out of his arms when you arrived, bare feet shocked by the cold marble tiles and your eyes fluttering shut at the steam rising from the deep, pool-like bath. Lucio reached for you again, beginning to pull your robe from your shoulders.

 

“Mm, they didn’t put anything in it… Why don’t you pick something out? Whatever you want, however much you want,” He trailed off, pressing his finger to the largest bruise on your shoulder. You shuddered, thrown back into the feeling of his teeth digging into your skin. You pulled away, walking over to his bottles of bath salts and oils and pulling them forward, uncorking them, sniffing carefully. You poured a fair amount of rose oil into the water, inhaling deeply. You couldn’t have ever afforded it. You poured in some orange scented bath salts and a handful of herbs you didn’t recognise, purely to see what they did, then set the bottle of rose oil on the edge of the bath. Lucio was watching you with his hungry expression again, like a predator catching sight of prey. You ignored him, your hands pulling at the tie around your waist. You sat on the edge, pushing the fabric back as you slipped your legs into the water.

 

You glanced behind yourself and shot Lucio a smirk. “What are you looking at?” 

 

“You,”

 

You snorted and pulled your arms out of the robe, slipping into the water and turning as you backed up, keeping yourself neck-deep in the water and looking Lucio up and down. 

 

“Well, looking isn’t going to get you clean, is it?”

 

Lucio began peeling off his clothes as you pressed your back against the edge of the bath, admiring the way he looked as he strode over and dropped into the water, making it slosh out over the edges of the marble, and wading over to you. His hands found your hips under the water and he pulled you upward, pressing you against him and wrapping your thighs around his waist. 

 

“How am I supposed to bathe when all I want to do is make you moan?”

 

“Maybe we should bathe separately if you’re going to have trouble with it…” You teased, feigning a sigh. Lucio’s hands tightened on your thighs and he snarled.

 

“As though I’m letting you out of my sight today,” Lucio said, setting you on the edge of the bath and trying to catch your gaze. You laughed and fixed your eyes on his chest. 

 

“Ah, I see how it is,”

 

“Well, you are mine... until tomorrow,”

 

You tilt your head. “Yours until nightfall,”

 

There was a pause, and he slid his hands up to your hips, edging closer. “Until morning…” He said, his voice half demand and half plea, his metal hand as hot as the almost scalding water around him, the touch of it making your brain go haywire. 

 

_ You’re in the hands of the devil and he’ll never really let me go, feel how it burns, like a brand, you’re his now…  _ “Until nightfall, that’s a day, Sire-“

 

“My name,” He breathed, his human hand coming up to cup your cheek gently, so gently, as though you’d break, as though he hadn’t gripped you and bent you and filled you, as though you were a precious vase rather than a fisherman’s net, filled with holes he would slip through. “use my name,”

 

“Make me,” You said. He growled and he slid his thumb between your lips. You dragged your tongue over it slowly before sucking it, drawing back, biting down before letting it slip from between your teeth, and as you did, you met his eyes. 

 

“I want to, every day for the rest of our lives I want to draw my name from those lips, oh gods, you have me, just… keep looking at me, fuck,”

 

You pulled back from his thumb and shoved him into the water, sliding back in and pushing toward him, stretching yourself over him, pressing your frames together as he leaned back against the edge of the bath. You folded your arms across his chest as he reclined. Smirking, you peered up at him mischievously.

 

“Oh, you’re so needy. You think you want me on my back, but that’s not true, is it? Not really. Don’t worry, darling, I know what you want. You want me to lay  _ you _ out. You want me to treat you nice and soft and gentle and kiss you sweet and slow while you shoot your load all over me. It’s okay, I can give that to you, if you want,”

 

“You want me to roll over for you,” Lucio cooed, bringing his searing metal hand to your neck and gently taking it, tilting your face up, appraising you like a weapon he was considering for purchase, “You want to be the boss when all it takes for me to get you on your back is a few dirty names and a hand between your thighs…”

 

“Lucio, spread your legs for me…” You growled, staring him in the eye with all the fire in your chest. Lucio swallowed, and his legs twitched. There was a moment where he flicked his gaze between your eyes and then he let out a heavy breath and his legs fell apart. You pressed yourself between them and brought your hand down, running your fingers gently over him. “Good boy, Lucio, you’re so good…” 

 

Lucio whimpered, pressing his hardening dick into your palm and gripping the edge of the bath. You smiled again.

 

“Oh, you look so pretty like this, hot all over and holding your tongue,” You leaned in, keeping your eyes on his as you pressed him hard against the marble tile, “You’re behaving yourself so well, you deserve a treat. I want to finger you while I suck your dick. Can I do that for you, pretty boy? Do you want me to?”

 

Lucio moaned, wrapping his legs around you and thrusting against your hand. “Please…” He gasped, arching back as you let go of his dick and ran you hips soothingly over his sides. 

 

“Okay, okay baby, I will, but you gotta let me go so I can go grab something to do it with, I don’t wanna hurt you, do I?”

 

“No…” Lucio whined, tightening his legs around your waist and bucking shallowly against you. You laughed and leaned down, pressing a kiss to his damp chest and pulling his thighs from you. You pushed him further out of the bath, planting him on the wet tile and smiling.

 

“Be a good boy and hold still…”

 

“I don’t want…” He reached out for you, making to pull you in again, “You can’t leave,”

 

You looked around, and your eyes landed on the expensive rose bath oil. You hesitated for a second. You looked back at Lucio and narrowed your eyes.

 

_ Really? _ You thought, before shrugging and snatching the bottle. You waved it in front of his face. “How desperate are you for me to stay and not go back to the room?”

 

“I’ve used that before, it’s fine, hurry up,” He snapped, dragging you back to him and pressing his lips to your neck. You shook your head.

 

“That’s… so wasteful. This is so wasteful. This is expensive stuff…” You poured it out into your hand and let it drip down your fingers, watching it drop into the water. 

 

“A hundred coins a bottle is hardly anything to sniff at,” Lucio snapped, grabbing your slick hand and pressing it to him. You groaned at the idea of spending a hundred coins on a tiny bottle of bath oil, just to use it as lube. 

 

“A hundred…” You hissed, circling his hole with your fingers. He bit his lips and hummed, and you reached down with your other hand and wrapped it around his erection. “that’s my groceries for a month…” You slipped a finger in through the tight muscle, and he gasped, his hands finding your shoulders as he slid his hips closer to you, pressing your slick finger deeper into him. He whined, squeezing you harder against him and struggling for breath. You paused, trying to give him a moment to adjust.

 

He only whined louder, jerking his hips upward toward you. “No, no, don’t stop, I want more,”

 

“More?” you teased, “you want…” You pressed your other finger to his entrance and tilted your head, looking over his face and raising your eyebrows. He let out another breath, nodding desperately and biting his lip. You pushed in with your other finger, slowly, and watched him arch back, struggling for breath as the greatest noise you’d ever heard rose from him. You felt your own breath leave you as you watched him, arching and panting desperately as you moved your fingers along inside of him, turning and pushing until you found it. 

 

You pressed it, and he lurched, gasping hard and looking at you desperately. You smiled. “Oh, is that okay? Lay still, pretty boy, be good for me…” You stroked up and down his stomach and hushed him. He whined, arching again, the cool marble pressing against his feverish skin as you played him like an instrument. You ran your fingers down his chest again, bringing your hand to wrap around his cock and leaning down, pressing your lips to his stomach as you pumped his cock, matching the rhythm you were thrumming at inside of him. His eyes fluttered shut, and his mouth fell open, but he seemed unable to make a sound. You laughed, low and breathy as you sped your hands up. 

 

“You’re so pretty, you really are, you’re such a good boy for me. I love this, when you get all quiet cause you can’t take it anymore, you’re just  _ made _ for this. Lucio, _ Lucio baby _ , look at me, I wanna see it… be a good boy, come on…”

 

Lucio whimpered, thighs shaking, his eyes opening up and meeting yours, glazed over and unfocused, like he couldn’t see straight, his brow furrowed, his lips parted. His chest was rising and falling quickly, and his skin was flushed all the way down to his ribs. You smiled. 

 

“Oh, beautiful,” You whispered, twisting your wrist as you squeezed him tighter, and he bucked, cumming across his own chest and stomach. You laughed a little as you eased up your grip and slowed your hand down. 

 

“I’m surprised you have anything left in you at all, Sire. You’ve been overworking yourself, I think,”

 

“Excuse you,” He growled, letting himself fall limp against the tile and sighing, peering at out through one half-closed eye, “I’m incredibly virile, and I can produce… so much cum. More than anyone, thank you very much,” 

 

“Mm, of course,” You said, stroking his side gently. 

 

“It also helps that you’re the sexiest thing on the planet and you’ve been naked and within grabbing distance for the last twelve hours,”

 

“But it’s mostly due to you being the most virile male in Vesuvia,”

 

“Of course,” Lucio laughed. You smiled and slipped your hand from him, making him whine and buck at the loss. You grabbed his hips and dragged him back into the water, pulling him against you and headbutting his chest softly.

 

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” You said, reaching out and grasping a bar of soap and lathering it up in your hands before running it over his chest, down his stomach, between his legs and back up. He leaned into you, throwing his arms over your shoulders as you washed his back. You felt him press his face into your hair and smile. You scoffed. “Wipe that look off your face…”

 

“Hmm,” Lucio hummed as you began pouring water over his back with your hands. You folded yourself down, pulling him into the water again with you. You turned, pushing him back off of you and pushing the water back up over his chest, rinsing him clean. He was looking at your face with an expression you’d never seen on his face before. You frowned at him.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Lucio smiled, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close again, pulling the soap from your grip and running it over your chest, your shoulders, down your back. You tilted your head.

 

“You’re acting so odd. What’s going on with you?” 

 

Lucio washed the warm water over your back, and your relaxed into him despite yourself. He pressed his lips to your temple, tenderly. Like a real lover would. 

 

_ Was he really your lover? _

 

You frowned, looking at the empty bottle of rose oil and the silk robe, trailing into the water, the oil on the surface ruining the expensive fabric. You took a deep breath, and then looked up at the count, who was looking at you with sleepy, happy eyes. 

 

You’d just wasted hundreds- maybe even cracked a thousand coins on this bath. You didn’t spend that in two months at the shop. The little urchins on the street, hungry and eager to see you do magic tricks flashed into your mind. 

 

The man you were cuddling with lived like this every day, while pain and hunger existed outside the walls of this palace. You took in a deep breath and pulled back. “We should… we should dry off. Don’t want to prune up,”

 

“We can stay here for-”

 

But you were already climbing out of the bath, pulling a towel off the rack and wrapping it around yourself. 

 

“Trickster-”

 

But you walked out of the bathroom, up the hall and back into Lucio’s room. There were tables set up along one wall, laden with more luxurious food than you could comprehend. Your stomach growled, but you forced yourself to walk by it, going straight for Lucio’s closet and pulling on a pair of his underwear and one of his shirts. You pressed the soft fabric against your skin, closing your eyes and wondering exactly how much this shirt cost. And it was white- any stain spilled on it would ruin it. A disposable item of clothing, one that would be discarded quickly. 

 

The door opened wide, and you stiffened. Seconds pass, and his hands are on your hips. 

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked softly. You grit your teeth. 

 

_ Everything in this city.  _ “Don’t look at me like that,” You said, tilting your head forward. Lucio leaned in, resting his chin on your shoulder.

 

“Like what?” He asked, concern in his voice. You groaned, letting your head fall back. 

 

“Like that. And don’t…  _ cuddle  _ me. I can’t take it,” You pulled out of his grip. You turned, pushing the doors of the cabinet shut, running your fingers through your damp hair and eyeing the corner of the room, not looking him in the eye. 

 

“What the hell… what’s wrong with you?” Lucio snapped. You flinched, and he stepped back. “We were just fine a second ago, we were perfectly okay, and then you storm off and throw this tantrum, and I have  _ no _ clue what keeps setting you off!”

 

“I just can’t take you being all…  _ soft, _ Sire,” You said, crossing your arms and pulling your shoulders up. “Don’t…” but you couldn’t finish. You couldn’t say it. 

 

“Love you?” He said. You turned away, walking to the window, throwing open and closing your eyes as the cool air came to you, pressing against your skin. You sucked in a breath.

 

“Don’t say that,” You hissed. You heard him shift. You heard him lean against the bedpost and sigh. You shook your head. “This was a mistake. I… I should go. This isn’t fair. Not on me… and not on you,” You drew back from the window, you made your way to the door.

 

He caught you, turned you, pinned you against the nearest wall. You stuck your eyes to his collarbone. “We had an agreement,”

 

“And I’m backing out,”

 

“Why?”

 

You paused. You took a deep breath. You looked anywhere, everywhere, but at him. “I can’t take it, Sire. I can’t take you looking at me like-”

 

“Like I love you?”

 

“Stop saying that!”

 

“Stop making it true,”

 

Your eyes snapped to his. He was looking at you like the sun rose and set from your shoulders, and it made you feel like the air in your lungs had turned to stone.

 

“You’ve known me for four days,” You snapped, “Don’t… Don’t be ridiculous,”

 

“You think it took me all four days?” He sneered. You pushed him back, running your hands through your hair. 

 

“This is so fucked up. This is majorly fucked up!”

 

“You’re not the one who’s  _ married _ ,” Lucio said, laughing. You closed your eyes and shook your head. 

 

“I have to stop this. This is over. Done,”

 

“You are ending this. Tomorrow morning. We agreed,” Lucio grabbed you again, and you knew he’d win, you knew he was right, and you knew you really couldn’t say no to him. You knew you didn’t want to. 

 

You looked up into his pale eyes. 

 

“Please… let me have today. Then you can go. You can leave and live your life and never think of me again… But please, I really… I am begging you. Please just let me have one day. This day. Let me have moments to remember you by. Let me keep the memory of you, if I can’t have you,”

 

You look at him, and you were right.

 

“Yes,” You whispered. “Yes, today, but please. Don’t… Don’t look at me like that,”

 

“Whatever you want,” He whispered, cupping your face and pulling you in, “I’ll fuck you to sleep and wait till you’re out to look at you like this,” He pressed his lips to yours, softly, and you groaned, but let him, you let him in, you let him touch you, and you let him kiss you breathless. 

 

You shouldn’t have. But you did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs!!!!:
> 
> Desire Me, Sam Cooke
> 
> Love Is A Losing Game, Amy Winehouse
> 
> Unholy, Hey Violet
> 
> Like Lovers Do, Hey Violet
> 
> (stan hey violet, I've loved them since when they were cherribomb they're the BEST)


	11. Act 3, The End (not really)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our apprentice's final performance draws to a close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you imagine the emotional turmoil of being a corrupt politician's sugar baby? I can't because i'm soulless but i think it'd be bad.

 

Eventually, Lucio pulled back, but it was still too soft, it was still far too soft. You stepped away, and you looked around the room. Your eyes landed on the food. 

 

“Let’s eat,” You said, reaching out for the sandwiches and retreating to a nearby armchair. Lucio frowned, but poured himself a glass of wine from a decanter and let you go. You turned away from him as you stuffed food into your mouth, desperate to avoid conversation. 

 

After a few awkward minutes, he huffed. “I hate it when you do this!”

 

You looked over your shoulder at him and squinted. “Do what?”

 

“Ignore me and act like I’m… some… common idiot browsing your store,” He snapped, “I’m the gods-damned Count of Vesuvia! I’m a catch! Thousands would kill for the chance to be in your place! But you’re sitting there like… like…”

 

“Like you’re a commoner?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Do I need to remind you that  _ I _ am a commoner?”

 

Lucio paused. He looked suddenly sheepish. “Well, yes, but…”

 

“But?”

 

“But you’re…” He took a deep breath. “You’re better than them, the other ones,”

 

You hesitated. There was two ways this conversation would go. You could deny it, try to get him to see his people  _ as _ people, or you could ignore him. He looked at you expectantly. “I’m not. I’m not any better than anyone else,”

 

“But you are,” You met his eyes, and he was striding across the room, pulling you up, throwing your sandwiches to the ground and dragging you over to the vanity. He braced you against it, his hands either side of you, bracketing you in. You stared down at the wood under your hands. “Can’t you see it?”

 

You scoff, shaking your head. “See what? The reflection of a shopkeeper and the Count of a city littered with orphans and hunger and crumbling infrastructure? The bitemarks you’ve left on my neck?” You straightened up a little, your eyes meeting his in the mirror. You lifted the shirt you were wearing, revealing the healing scratches that trailed down your stomach. “The marks of a noble on common skin?”

 

“You,” Lucio snapped, his golden hand coming up to grip your chin, turning your head so that you were staring at yourself in the mirror. “Can’t you see what you are? All those other common folk, poor and dirty, unable to climb the ladder, unable to fight their way upward… You’re not like them. You… you’re a gem amongst ashes and dirt, Trickster, and I…” He trailed off, and you knew he was edging dangerously close to saying something you didn’t want to hear. You pulled your face from his hand and sneered.

 

“You don’t know your own people,” 

 

“I know  _ you, _ I know you better than you do,”

 

“You don’t know anything about me,” You laughed, shaking your head and fixing your eyes on the wood of the vanity again. He gripped your hips, pressing himself to you. 

 

“I know you,” He hissed, and you were shocked that he was hard again. You stiffened.  _ Well, there goes my attempt to do any good in the world. Damn it all. _

 

“You really do just… keep going. What is this? The fourth? Fifth?”

 

“Don’t know,” He said, bending down and pressing his face into your shoulder. “I’m not counting. Can’t help it. You’re…”

 

You shook your head. “It’s gonna fucking... fall off or something… this can’t be good for you,”

 

“Mm, that’s fine,” He said, “Just as long as it’s after today,”

 

“Madness…” You laughed, pushing yourself back into him and shaking your head. You expected him to pull you back into the bed, but he didn’t. Instead, he slid his fingers into the waistband of your underwear and let out a little laugh under his breath. 

 

“Just for you…” Suddenly his fingers were pressing into your skin harder, bruising. “You said you didn’t want it soft, though, didn’t you?”

 

“Ah,” You gasped, “No, I don’t,”

 

“So I’ll give it to you how you want it,” He hissed, dragging you back and grinding hard into you. You fell forward a little, bracing on the polished wood, gasping as he pushed your shirt up, exposing your bare skin to the cool air. Your nose was inches from the mirror, your breath fogging the glass as he ran his fingers up and down your back. You heard him laugh.

 

“What?” You snapped. His hand clapped down against your ass and you jerked forward, biting back a yelp. “What-”

 

“I’m going to ruin everything in front of me right now,” He growled, reaching down and ripping the underwear right off your body. You yelped, and he reached up, tearing the shirt cleanly down the back and shoving it down your arms. He planted his hands over yours, pressing them flat against the wood. “Mostly you. Now, don’t move an inch,”

 

“Don’t tell me what to do,” You snapped, but when he drew back, you did stay still, craning your neck in an attempt to keep him in sight. He walked over to the bedside and began to snap the outer plating of his prosthetic into place, finally sliding his hand into his gauntlet and flexing his fingers.

 

“I think I will. If you want to be treated like a commoner, I can give you that,” He strode back, his hands finding your hips again, pressing into your back, “You want to know what men like me can do to people like you?”

 

His voice had a false venom to it, if you had been more gullible, fear may have found you, but you just smiled and arched back into him, a smile playing your lips. “You call yourself a man?”

 

That did it. His human hand between your shoulder blades pushed you flat into the vanity, your head threatening to hit the mirror as his claws trailed lightly over your skin, raising goosebumps and making you shiver in anticipation. You heard him sneer as you pressed your thighs together hard. 

 

“I think you know that I’m every inch a man, little trickster,” He hissed. You bit your lip as his claws pressed into your skin. 

 

“If you say so, Sire,” 

 

He growled again, pulling your hips against himself and grinding hard into you. “You sure do love provoking me. What is it that you want? What would make you happy?” He grasped your hair and pulled you up, making you gasp as you arched, your face close to the mirror, your eyes meeting your reflection’s before finding his. “If you don’t tell me I’ll just do whatever I want. Or is that what you want? You want to spend the day as a rich man’s plaything? You don’t want feelings, you don’t want tenderness, you just want to be a hole to use and be tossed out with the rest of the trash?”

 

You whined, low in your throat, and closed your eyes. His hand on your hip tightened, his claws finally piercing your skin. A low laugh- more like a growl, more like a threat- filled the air, maybe it wasn’t even really a sound, maybe it was just a feeling, running along his body, through his lungs and down, hitting every point that your bodies met. 

 

“Well… we don’t always get what we want- even more so for commoners like you,” 

 

Your eyes flew open, and found his. He was smirking. You gasped, and he pulled you back, his hand around your neck, his claws easing up and trailing along your stomach. “What are you-”

 

“Whatever I want right?” He hissed. “Remember the safe word?”

 

“Yes,” You hissed. 

 

“Don’t be afraid to use it,” He said, trailing his metallic pointer finger up the center of your stomach. You couldn’t seem to keep the air in your lungs as you watched its progress, every movement a warning. 

 

“What are you going… What are you going to do?”

 

“I don’t actually need to tell you anything,” He growled, tightening his grip around your neck and making you gasp. He rested his lips on your shoulder, watching his hand trace its way over your ribs. He seemed to be considering something. You tried you calm yourself down, but just as you did, he dug his teeth in deeply and gripped you. You hissed, tilting your head as much as you could against his hand to give him more access. He groaned, pressing in against you again, making your hips hit the edge of the table. 

 

He pulled off of you, revealing an impressive new bruise to match the collection he’d already give you, putting the little ones Julian had left to shame. You caught his eyes in the mirror.

 

“Hurry up and do it, you tyrannical bastard,” You snapped, shifting your legs apart and pressing back as much as you could. He sneered.

 

“You’re not in a position to tell me what to do,” He pushed his fingers into your mouth, and pressed down on your tongue. You sucked on his fingers hard, staring his reflection down as you did it, and he looked half gone.  _ So, if he’s not going to let you tell him, you’ll just have to make him lose it. _ Your eyes fall hooded and you smile at him, letting him slide his fingers from your lips. 

 

“You don’t like ‘Sire’,” You whispered as he moved his newly slicked fingers between your legs, “But a commoner shouldn’t call you by your name. What do you want me to call you?” You hummed, grinding back against him. there was a moment when his eyes fluttered shut and he seemed like he might slip from control, but then it was gone. 

 

“I think I’ve already told you…” He gripped the back of your neck with his clawed hand as his human fingers slid inside of you, “that I’m your master today, so why don’t you call me that?”

 

You paused. Master was something you only called Asra. That title belonged to him. You couldn’t… wouldn’t call someone else that, least of all Lucio. You met his eyes again in the mirror, and grit your teeth. His eyes sparkled with the dare. 

 

“Something else or nothing at all,”

 

“Once again, you seem to think you have more leverage than you do,” 

 

“Oh?” You smiled, and closed your eyes. You felt Lucio pause.

 

“What are you doing?” He asked, his voice curious as his fingers stilled. You inhaled deeply, but didn’t respond. There was a moment’s pause, then you heard him hum thoughtfully. 

 

“You’re trying to ignore me, aren’t you?”

 

You smiled, but didn’t reply. You didn’t know exactly what was coming, but you were eager to find out. 

 

Lucio’s human hand pushed roughly into you, hitting deep and startling you a little, you fought to keep your face as neutral as possible as his claws dug into your neck, pricking your skin. 

 

“That’s not something I’m going to let you keep up, darling,” Lucio growled, “you know you can’t ignore  _ me _ ,” 

 

You decided to take him up on the challenge. He pressed you down, and you lay on the desk easily, trying to remain impassive as he worked you open. You could feel the wetness between your legs begin to run down your thighs, but did your best to remain non reactive and pliable. 

 

“Hm,” He pulled his fingers from you and ran his claws down your back, a sulky edge to his voice. “You think you can just pretend nothing is happening? I swear, open up your eyes! I’m going to make you regret it if you don’t, Trickster!” but you brought your arms under your head and nuzzled into them as though ready for a nap. 

 

He pushed into you without a warning, and you bit your tongue to stop yourself from whining. His wet human hand found your hair and dragged you back up again- you were beginning to feel like a yo-yo- and his claws dug hard into your hip as he slammed into you, fucking you hard and bumping your hips into the edge of the vanity. You could hear the drawers sliding open and slamming shut with the force of it, you could feel the fabric of his robe against your skin, and his own skin, hot and contrasted sharply against his cold metal arm- _ how was it so cold _ \- But then his voice found you and you grit your teeth, scrabbling for purchase against polished wood as he hissed into your ear.

 

“You’re so easy, so so easy, you just want it to be simple. Just my cock where it belongs inside of you. Just me making you cum and leaving. You want to be a rich man’s whore. You want it…” He snarled, his claw coming up and scratching at your chest, “You want to be ice and stone, cold and distant while you get what you want, you want to reserve the best of you for someone else, those eyes, these lips, this heart, and gods, gods I want to take them, I want to wrestle them from you, because it’s so easy for you, you can have anyone you want just by breathing, just by being, don’t you see? No one deserves you like I do, no one should have you but me,” Claws ran down your skin, along your ribs, your stomach, past your navel, teasingly light as they approached the place between your legs and you hissed.

 

“You can’t ignore me, you can’t say no, trickster you can play this game with everyone, but I’m playing to win, and I can draw an orgasm from you, I can draw other things too, a moan that takes the shape of my name, a look that tells me more than words ever could, and you might try to lie with those lips, but they’re put to better use when they’re wrapped around my cock, now, darling little trickster, if you want to cum, call me by my name, look me in the eye, and tell me you hate me,”

 

Your eyes flew open, but it was a question that fell from your lips. “Why?” You were confronted by yourself, bruised and blushing and covered in brand new scratches to match the healing ones, shaking with the force of him ramming into you, looking desperate and messy and like some animal had mauled you. He smiled at your reflection, looking debauched himself, his hair messy, his chest as flushed as his face.

 

“Love and hate are the same feeling in different contexts,” He sneered, “and if you can’t love me, then I’ll have you hate me, because either way, you’re mine. My little lover or my darling enemy, mine. Every beautiful, perfect millimetre. All mine,”

 

“Fuck you,” You snapped, glaring at his smug face.

 

“You are, darling,” He laughed. He buried himself deep into you and ground against you hard. “Or rather… I’m fucking  _ you _ ,” His hand finally slid between your legs and the claws that he wasn’t using just made the thrill that much more intense as he ground into you. You arched, gasping, and glared at him.

 

“Lucio, I don’t hate you,” You hissed, “I just think you’re a selfish little attention whore,”

 

Lucio grit his teeth, and pressed down on your clit with his cold fingers. You tensed, still glaring at him, and you came hard. A moan died in your throat, a desperate gasp, and you almost crumpled forward. Lucio shook his head, stilling inside you and letting go of you, stopping all support he was giving you.

 

“Liar. Liar, everything out of your mouth is a lie. Come on. Do you honestly expect me to believe it? That you neither hate me nor love me? That I’m something you could take or leave? Don’t insult my intelligence,”

 

“Why do you think you- ah… Why do you think you’re so fucking… oh shit, I can’t fucking think,”

 

“Look into my eyes and lie again,”

 

Your eyes met his as he gripped your hips, picking his pace back up, the sound of the vanity bumping against the wall filling the air. You gasped, your eyes losing focus. It was too much, the feeling of him moving inside you again so soon…

 

“Come on,” He sneered, “Tell me some comfortable untruths, my little trickster,”

 

“You want me to lie?” You gasped, hands gripping the edge of the vanity, “I can lie. How’s this? I’m yours, Lucio. All yours,”

 

He groaned, his face reddening, His brow furrowed. He tightened his grip. You whined as he somehow started snapping his hips harder against you. You really couldn’t see straight. You felt your still damp hair on your face, his hands on your hips, wood pressing against you and him stretching you, filling you. You struggled for air, trying to think straight as he drove everything from your mind.

 

“You’ve got me,” You whined, “I’m all yours, ah, just you, only you…” 

 

He hissed, pressing hard against you, his hands sliding up, arms wrapping around you, and you buckled. 

 

“Lucio… You’re mine, and I…  _ fuck _ !”

 

He bit you, hard, right over an already deep bruise, and you came again, squeezing around him and going rigid. He hummed, still pushing into you, and you shuddered. He let go, pressing his lips to your shoulder and whispering. “Beautiful little liar,” He breathed, rocked his hips into you gently, “You’re convincing. A fantastic actor, really, I believed it for a second there,”

 

You whined, shaking like a leaf. He bent and scooped you up, carrying you off, he dropped you onto the bed, turned you, fitted himself between your legs as you started to come back to yourself, still trembling, and he kissed you, soft, sweet. 

 

“Keep lying,” He whispered, pressing back into you, and you couldn’t believe how quickly you’d gotten used to this, to him. “Keep playing tricks, keep going,”

 

You arched, trying to draw breath back in. “Ah, Lucio… I can’t…” it was too much, you were so sensitive. every nerve in you firing off at once.

 

“That’s a good lie,” He whispered, kissing your cheek, “a cute one, keep going,”

 

“Lucio, please, I can’t, it’s too much-“

 

“You remember the word?” He asked, rocking slowly into you, “Tell me you remember,”

 

“I d-do…” You sobbed. He laughed as he pressed his forehead to your collarbone and watched himself slide into you. 

 

“Then you like it, don’t you?”

 

“I…”

 

“Come on, lie about me, tell me something I wanna hear,”

 

“Lucio, gods, I can’t take any more, I’m gonna… oh…”

 

And he sped up a little, making your eyes flutter shut as he drew in ragged breaths.

 

“Lucio,”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You’re so good, pretty boy, beautiful, lemme… I need… I can’t take-“

 

“You can do it, come on, you know you’re not delicate, darling thing, take it, it won’t break you…”

 

“It will!”

 

“Liar,” He drew his finger across your over sensitive clit, and you whined, almost a scream. 

 

“I’m going to die of this, I’m going to faint-“ 

 

Again, his finger slow across you and you arched. “Lucio! I can’t-“

 

“One more lie,” He sighed, speeding up, “One more thing, darling,”

 

You felt tears sting your eyes, and you let out a sob. You were falling to pieces. You’d never felt so much all at once, every nerve on fire, you wondered if they could burn out, if fucking Lucio would leave you numb.

 

“Lucio, don’t stop,” You cried, your hands balling up in fists in his sheets, “Lucio, I love you!”

 

He gasped, and came right there. The feeling of him pulsing and the way his thumb pressed on you in that second was so overwhelming that you really did break, coming undone again with a sob that shook your whole body.

 

He slipped out of you, and rolled you both to your side, you trembled as he did it, as he ran his hands over your skin and hummed happily against you. You closed your eyes, and he pulled the covers over the pair of you, holding you close. 

 

“You’re a fantastic actor, I really mean it, you had me going there,” he sneered. Your shook your head and clenched your jaw.

 

“I’m sorry,” You hissed, and you couldn’t believe that you were actually apologising to him, but you felt bad. “I shouldn’t have said it, it was a low blow,”

 

“I told you to tell me a lie I wanted to hear,” He said, shrugging, “and damn, did you sell it,”

 

You turned, moving to pull away, but he pulled you back. “Please?”

 

You looked up at him and took a deep breath. “Please what, Sire?”

 

“Please don’t pull away from me?” He asked, “I don’t know if even I can… again… but… I still want you. I still want to hold you. Let me have that?”

 

You frowned. “Okay, but no more of this… this stuff. Just… only holding,” You shot him a half hearted smirk. “Keep that pretty boy mouth shut for once,”

 

“Oh, keep calling me that and I’ll do whatever you say,”

 

You rolled your eyes, letting laughter bubble up in your chest and turned your face away from him. He laughed too, pressing his face into your shoulder. 

 

You didn’t know how long the pair of you lay like that, just giggling at nothing and watching the shadows cross the walls. You ate the food on the table and you bullied him into letting you read the books he had on his shelves. They were obviously just for show, he’d never in his life opened one. 

 

It was less than a half an hour before he was complaining. You’d barely reached the end of the introduction when he placed his human hand over the pages and pushed it down. You sighed and looked up at him.

 

“What?” You sighed, looking up at him. He was frowning at you. 

 

“You’re done with that now,” He snapped. You raised your eyebrows.

 

“Well I can’t afford a copy of this book, so I was planning on finishing it today-”

 

Lucio scowled and pulled it out of your hands, holding it up and glaring at it. “You’re nowhere near being finished!”

 

“No, well, it’d go faster if you didn’t interrupt,”

 

“If I don’t interrupt then you’ll just sit there and ignore me, gods damn it,”

 

You sighed, and reached up to catch the book. Lucio tightened his grip on the other end, positively pouting at you. “Okay fine, I can read and pay attention to you at the same time,”

 

Lucio narrowed his eyes. “Oh?”

 

You reached to him and pulled him up against the headboard next to you. He scrambled to obey the pressure of your arm, following you along and settling against the wood, looking at you expectantly. You smoothed your a wrinkle he had put in the book’s page and then met his eye.

 

“Do you want me in your lap or do you want to be in mine?” You asked, placing your finger between the pages and smiling. Lucio’s eyes lit up. “Your lap?”

 

“Okay, well, rest your head here and I can stroke your hair while I read,” You said, patting your thigh. He dropped down and lay himself across your lap like a can basking in sunlight, tugging on your shirt so that he had a clear view of your face and smiling up at you. 

 

You ran your fingers through his hair as you used your other hand to hold the book, reading to yourself as you stroked Lucio’s head. He hummed happily, and whenever you pulled your hand away to turn the page he whined and put his hand around your wrist, pressing your fingers back into his hair. You couldn’t help but smile. When you reached a good place to pause, you looked down at him.

 

“You’re so needy, like a little puppy,” you laughed, rubbing his scalp gently with your fingertips and tilting your head. “Do you want to cuddle differently, or is this working for you?”

 

Lucio closed his eyes and hummed thoughtfully. “You said you could be in my lap? That that was an option too?”

 

You smiled. “You have to sit up,”

 

Lucio hummed thoughtfully, like he was mulling the thought over as you brushed his hair back. “Mm… okay, but this better be good,”

 

You rolled your eyes, and he grinned, sitting up straight and looking at you expectantly. 

 

You scooted over and planted yourself between his thighs, leaning back against him and opening your book back up. He rested his head on your shoulder, pouting again.

 

“You’re not going to touch my hair like this, are you?”

 

“No,” You said, “but if you want I can try to read out loud? I’m not great at it, but you’d know what was going on,”

 

Lucio hummed happily and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer. “Okay, but if the book is boring I’m throwing it away and you’ll have to go back to playing with my hair,”

 

You rolled your eyes, but settled in, reading aloud. Lucio interrupted you every few paragraphs, barking his opinion or complaining about how fast you were reading, asking questions about what had happened in the first part of the book and what the characters looked like. You answered as patiently as you could manage, explaining the plot and the characters as well as you could. 

 

You didn’t know how long it was before you stopped, looking around for a glass of water and frowning when you realised all you had was wine. You moved to get out of Lucio’s lap, setting the book down, but he just gripped you harder and made a needy noise in his chest. 

 

“What are you doing! Don’t  _ stop _ !” He snapped, pulling the book back toward you and waving it in front of your face. You caught it and tried to pull out of his grip again.

 

“I’m thirsty,” You whined as he dragged you against him, pressing his face into your shoulder. 

 

“No,”

 

“No I’m not thirsty?”

 

“Ugh, fine, I expected you to have more endurance reading at least,” He snapped, letting you go. 

 

“Oh, please,” you laughed, pouring yourself a glass of wine and rolling your eyes, “ _ Endurance? _ ”

 

Lucio’s eyes flashed mischievously. His face split into a smirk. “Oh,  _ Lucio, I caaan’t… _ ” He whined, batting his eyelashes. You threw a butterknife at him, which he caught easily in his alchemical hand and twirled between his fingers, grinning. “You’re cute when you blush. I never got to see it under that damned hood of yours. I could embarrass you for days straight and never get bored,”

 

You sneered, turning back to your glass and drinking deeply. 

 

“Could listen to you read for days too,” He mused, leaning back against the headboard. “Could dance with you for ages, could keep you here in my shirt forever. You know, I’ve never fulfilled a bargain, not really. I don’t want to start now…”

 

You frowned, pouring more wine into the glass. “This… this is that Ice Wine, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes,” Lucio said, “You liked it,”

 

You nodded. “There’s no point in dwelling on what you think you ‘could’ do. You and I aren’t… ugh,” You drained your glass again. “This is really good wine,”

 

“Yes, well, with how much it costs it should be…”

 

“Oh, did I hear some bitterness there?” You teased. Lucio’s eyes flew wide. 

 

“No-”

 

“Was it too pricey for you, Sire? Did you bite off more than you could afford?” 

 

“I… No that’s not-”

 

“I could do with a hand at the shop if you need some more money...” You teased, “How would you feel about carving candles and helping me hang herbs to dry?”

 

Lucio spluttered, and you laughed, setting your glass on the side and climbing back into Lucio’s lap.

 

“Oh, that’s a charming idea, the Count with a side job. Maybe not though…”

 

“Oh, definitely not, I would never-”

 

“My master might not like it,” You mused. Lucio stilled, and narrowed his eyes as though the possibility was only now hitting him. 

 

“Your master…”

 

“Yeah, Asra might not like you meandering around the shop, messing with our stuff,” You said, settling against him. Lucio straightened up a little, wrapping his arms around you. 

 

“Well, why not?” Lucio said, sounding a little indignant, “Any shopkeeper should be  _ thrilled _ to have me in their shop at all, let alone… helping,”

 

“You’d be a terrible employee,”

 

“I’m amazing at everything I do, I’d be the best employee in the history of employees. Not that I ever  _ would _ stoop to being a common… worker…”

 

“You can’t do as you’re told,”

 

Lucio huffed, his human hand coming up to play with your hair. “I think that depends on who’s telling me what to do…”

 

“More like it depends on _ what _ someone’s telling you to do,” you sneered, picking the book back up and finding your place. Lucio rested his sharp chin on the top of your head and hummed thoughtfully.

 

“I suppose that’s true,” He said, his voice thoughtful. You could  _ feel _ his face break into a smile. “Or what I was getting out of it,”

 

“Ah, there it is,” You laughed, “the fact of the matter. You said yourself you never fulfill your end of a bargain though. Once again, bad employee,”

 

“Oof,” Lucio said, drawing you in close. “You’re not afraid of hurting my feelings,”

 

“It took you this long to figure that out?” You laughed, “Now shut up, we’re getting to a good part,”

 

So you went back to reading, and the sunlight from the window continued to slide across the room. Lucio eventually drew quiet, pulling you around so that you were laying side by side.

 

Some time after the sun had slipped below the horizon Lucio’s eyes slipped closed. You kept reading aloud, eventually reaching the last page and staring at the last two words. You cleared your throat. 

 

“The End,” you whispered, closing the book and setting it on the side. You hesitated for a moment, looking at Lucio’s sleeping face, and then shook yourself. 

 

You pressed your lips quickly to his forehead, then you drew yourself slowly from his grasp. You pulled the covers back into place over him, and you finished the rest of your wine glass, setting it down gently and then sneaking from his room. 

 

You stole down the hallways of the palace, to your room, pushing the door open and gathering your things, your bag, pausing when you noticed the outfit that Nadia had given you laid out on the bed. You pulled it on, then scrambled from the room, pulling your bag over your shoulders and working your way through the winding corridors, heart in your throat and breath sounding deafening in the dark, silent air of the sleeping palace. You strode out the side door, almost laughing at yourself for being over cautious as you ducked through the gardens, into the grounds, eventually pulling yourself over a wall and landing on public lands again. 

 

You walked back to your shop with footsteps slightly hurried, not for fear, but for an eagerness to be home. To be alone. 

 

You wound through the market, dark and empty in the night, and back to your friendly, familiar little shop. You opened the door and walked in, looking around. Asra’s hat and coat were gone. He must not have been home. You locked the door and sighed, hanging your bag up and walking past the stove, pausing to hear the salamander snore and smiling to yourself before walking up the creaking steps.

 

The sheets of your bed were cold against your skin as you slid between them, and you hissed. You turned over, tucking into yourself and looking at the familiar walls of your room.

 

It would be… hard to sleep alone again, you realised. It'd be cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs!: 
> 
> Hostage, Billie Eilish (seriously even just... google the lyrics holy shit)
> 
> Desire Me, Sam Cooke
> 
> Let Me Down, Jorja Smith & Stormzy


	12. To Begin Something Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAh okay this is the beginning of the end aaaahhh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this piece wound up predicatlbhy much longer than planned and this stuff is hitting me way harder than it normally does i am nearing drunken sstatus okya you legally cannot hold me responsible for the length or quality of this chapter i love you alll thank you good night

Two days passed, where you hoisted the flag above the shop that let patrons know you were open, and you watered the plants on the windowsill. You made stew for the urchins and took it out to the corners of the city where you knew they hid, the docks, the alleys of the market, and life was as it always had been. 

 

And you were alone. 

 

The stove salamander your only real company. You wanted a familiar. You wanted Asra to return. You wanted… someone. Something. Anything but the crushing loneliness around you.

 

On the third day, you were behind the counter, cleaning dust and dead bugs from the corners when you heard someone come through the door.

 

“Hello!” You sai, bumping your head on a shelf and upsetting a jar of ground dragon’s blood resin. “Shit! One moment, I’ll be right with you!” You dropped your rag on the floor, quickly brushing the sticky red powder back into the jar. You heard footsteps, worn boots on your wooden floor, and paused.

 

“I heard…” A familiar voice said, laughter behind the words, “That you have some fair prices on herbs I might need, if, you know, they haven’t all been dumped on your shelves,”

 

You shot up, bumping your head again and scrambling out of your case and staring, disbelieving, at the man in front of you. “Julian?” You asked.

 

He smiled at you, leaning on the counter. “I would have come sooner-”

 

But you grabbed him by the collar, dragging him into a tight hug. “Gods,” You squeaked, pressing your face into his coat, “I missed you!”

 

“You did?” Julian asked, and you grinned, letting him go and rolling your eyes. He was very pink, and running his fingers along the edge of your counter distractedly.

 

“Of course I did!”

 

“Like I said, I would have come sooner…” Julian said, tilting his head, “But uh… The palace has been a little…  _ dramatic _ since you left…”

 

“More dramatic than usual?” You laughed. Julian shrugged.

 

“You could say that,” 

 

“Do you want a cup of tea?” you offered, eager to keep Julian around for a little while, “you can tell me all about it, C’mon,”

 

Julian flashed you a grin, and you lead him back into your kitchen, sitting him at the table and dumping some biscuits on a plate. You set them in front of him as you boiled the water and picked your tea, spooning out some of the leaves into a teapot and humming happily. Julian cleared his throat.

 

“He was in high dudgeon the whole day after you snuck out,” He said awkwardly. You laughed.

 

“I bet he was,”

 

“I don’t blame him,” Julian said, fidgeting nervously with the plate on the table, “Waking up next to you is… addictive,”

 

“You don’t have any right to lecture me about sneaking out overnight,” you pointed out. Julian blushed again. 

 

“I’m not you,” He said. You rolled your eyes. 

 

“If I’d have stayed, he might have tried to keep me longer with some other debt. I couldn’t risk it. I fulfilled my contract, and I left,”

 

“I don’t blame you,” Julian said, eyes wide, “but I don’t blame him either,”

 

“Ah, well, you’ll have to forgive my lack of sympathy. I spent yesterday by the docks,”

 

Julian nodded. “Ah, well,” He flashed you a knowing smile, “That’ll do it,”

 

You set the teapot between you, and a pair of mismatched mugs, taking your seat and crossing your ankles beneath the table. “I’m… so happy to see you, Julian,” You admitted, eyeing him over the rim of your cup. “I… I missed you. I was beginning to think you may not come by,”

 

“Well, Lucio has been pretending to have a headache for the last two days,” Julian said, “And I’ve been having trouble curing his… well honestly he just wants attention,”

 

“Obviously,” You said, smiling. 

 

“He made me read him a book for an entire hour, and complained the whole time that I was doing it wrong,” Julian said, turning the mug in his hands and shaking his head. “Honestly…”

 

You bit your lip and dropped your gaze to the plate, picking up a biscuit to cover the movement. “... Odd thing, isn’t he?”

 

“Very,” Julian said. You smiled.

 

“How’s Portia?”

 

“Pasha’s fine, great, actually,” He smiled, “She’s been spending a lot of time attending Nadia lately,”

 

You smiled. “Aw, that’s great!” You propped your chin on your hand as he launched into a story about Portia throwing an apple at the Count in an orchard when he wasn’t looking. How Nadia had noticed and had to pretend not to know what had really happened. He was a fantastic storyteller, moving his hands through the air, pushing his words along between you, waving the scenes across the table like a conductor directing an orchestra.

 

Your heart felt… strange in your chest. Lighter, somehow. When he was done, you beamed at him and caught his hand in the air, pulling it down into the table.

 

“Now…” You said, pulling his glove off and running your fingers across his palm, “How about I go outside, pull that flag down, and we go waste the rest of the day?” You pulled his hand toward you and pressed your lips to his palm. “Unless you have to go-“

 

“Nope! I don’t have anywhere to be!” Julian said, flinching as he rammed his knee into the table, sending the tea cups rattling. You smiled and stilled your, leaning across the little table and pressing a kiss to the corner of Julian’s mouth. 

 

“I’ll be right back,” You said, walking out through the shop and the front door, snapping your fingers and causing the flag to lower into your hands. you folded it quickly and stride back into the shop, locking your door and warding it behind you.

 

You set the flag on the counter and hurried through to the kitchen, only to be caught in the doorway. Julian had pulled his coat off, standing in his loose fitting shirt and catching your waist. He looked like he wanted to say something, so you threw your arms over his shoulders and blinked up at him.

 

“What’s-“

 

“I realised you might think I’m being- I realised that… I might not have communicated exactly how enthusiastic I am about this-“

 

You laughed, smiling up at his eager face and pulling him in. “You’re adorable,” You said, making him blush.

 

“Adorable?” He asked, “Not handsome? Dashing? mysterious? Alluring?”

 

“That too,” You laughed, pulling him in for a kiss. He hummed into your lips, his eyes fluttering closed as you began to walk backward with him, untucking his shirt and kicking off your shoes. 

 

Soon enough you were both tripping up the stairs, laughing as you pulled your shawl from your shoulders. You wrapped it around his waist and pulled him back into your bedroom with it. He bit his lip and smiled as you pulled him around, pushing him into the bed and pulling his boots off before climbing on top of him. You brought your face close to his and smiled.

 

“Oh, this is… so perfect,” You said, pressing your lips to his and bringing your hands to cup his face. He hummed, and when you parted from him, kissing your way down his neck, he smiled and brought his hands to your sides.

 

“ _ You’re _ so perfect,” He said, one hand coming up and running through your hair. You laughed, nipping at his collarbone and tugging on his shirt. 

 

“You’re…”

 

“Off topic?” He teased. You grinned, flopping down on him and crossing your arms over his chest, pressing your cheek over his heart, smiling at the rhythm there. 

 

“Tell me about your hometown,” You said, your eyes hooded as he met your gaze, “Tell me… tell me about  _ you _ , Julian. I want to know you better,”

 

“You want to hear about Nevivion?”

 

“Yes,”

 

“Well!” He said, grinning ear to ear and letting his head fall back. He started telling you about the way the waves had crashed against the beach near his childhood home, the way Portia had always gotten into fights with other kids, about a woman named Mazelinka who could kick a gladiator’s ass with nothing but a wooden spoon. He told you about sunsets on foreign shores, about pirate ships, about fighting off thieves with nothing but his bare hands. He pushed his stories through the air with his elegant hand, pausing for dramatic effect at the perfect moments, making you laugh with perfect punchlines, making you gasp as he kept you in suspense. 

 

Eventually he seemed to remember himself. He looked back at you. “Well enough about my childhood. What about you? You have a Vesuvian accent, did you grow up here?”

 

“Ah…” You bit your lip and shrugged. “I… I don’t know. I don’t remember. My memory goes back three years. That’s it. I… I don’t know where I grew up. All I know is Asra, and this shop, and…” You paused, and then smiled. “And now you,”

 

Julian flushed, but looked happy. “Ah… Yeah. Now me,”

 

You leaned in and kissed him again, smiling as he pulled your shirt up around your waist and drew his fingers across your skin so lightly you shivered with it, wanting to press back into his touch, but when you moved toward his hand, he pulled it back, keeping his touch teasingly light, a caress, but not. 

 

You broke the kiss, looking into his grey eyes and smirking.

 

“Doctor Julian Devorak…” You laughed under your breath, “I do think that you’re trying to play a game with me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SONGS!!!!
> 
> Would You Be So Kind, dodie
> 
> Dinner & Diatribes, Hozier (the one and only man in my life who has never let me down)


	13. Playing To Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get busy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyyyyyyy guess what? :) i love jules

“A game? Me?” Julian laughed, eyes sparkling.

 

“I’m going to warn you, Julian… No one plays like I do,” You teased, running your hand down his side to his thigh and squeezing hard. He stiffened a little, and his face flushed. 

 

“I know enough to… be aware of that…”

 

“Good,” You said, tilting your head, “Then you know what you’re getting into,”

 

You straightened up, kneeling over him, and began taking off your shirt, slowly, keeping eye contact with Julian for as long as you could before throwing the fabric on the ground and beginning to undo the buttons of your trousers. Julian’s long fingers flew to your waistband, and he made to hurry you along, but you grinned and took his wrists. you pushed them gently into the sheets and smiled. 

 

“Julian… keep your hands there. Be good, okay? No touching until I tell you,” You wink, then return to slowly to taking off your clothes, slowly. Gently.

 

You have all the time in the world. There’s no rush, none at all.

 

Julian watches, hungry and satisfied all at once, his hands keep twitching toward you then stilling. He’s behaving himself, towing the line. You smile, pulling your trousers off and almost unbalancing as you did. You laughed, bending down and kissing him, and he kissed back, his hands still pinned, a whine rising in his throat.

 

You rested your forehead against his and began dragging his shirt off, slowly, careful not to let your skin touch his, and he shivered. You smiled.

 

“Julian… so reactive…” You pulled his shirt over his head and trailed your hands down his chest, down his arms, humming as you watched him shiver and gasp. “I bet I could make you sing for me. Maybe you can tell me one of your thrilling stories while I take you apart? I’d love to hear it in your voice as you lose it,” Your hands fell to his trousers and you began to undo them, pulling them down and running your hands along his thighs. “Darling… Can I show you how thankful I am that you came to visit me?”

 

Julian arched and whined, and you laughed before kneeling between his legs and taking his dick in your hand. You pressed your lips to the head, before slowly taking him into your mouth, sucking lightly and humming around him. His eyes rolled back and he clenched his fists in the sheets in order to keep them still. You pulled back off him with a pop and smirked as he whined.

 

“Julian, darling, look at me,” You slid further down his legs and bent to kiss his stomach, just below his belly button. He inhaled sharply, and canted his hips up, but you pinned them down with one hand as you slid your hand over him gently, softly, all the while working your way up, planting feather light kisses along his stomach until you reached his ribs.

 

He gasped as you sank your teeth into the skin over his heartbeat, sucking a deep bruise there, tightening your grip and twisting your wrist. He whined, thrusting into your hand, his eyes tight shut. You caught his chin with your free hand and turned his head to face you.

 

“Julian…” You cooed, tilting your head. He bit his lip. You twisted your wrist again. “Julian…”

 

Julian whined as you slowed your hand, and he peeked through lowered lashes at you. “Please…”

 

“Please what?”

 

“Please let me touch you…” He begged, arching a little, his brow furrowed. You laughed under your breath. 

 

“Oh, that was a really nice way to ask,” You said, speeding your hand up, gripping him tighter, “you sounded so pretty, do it again. Do it again and I’ll let you,” You said, smiling at him.

 

He groaned, his wrists still obediently pressed against the sheets, his face desperate. “Please, in the name of all that is holy and otherwise, let me touch you…”

 

“Oh, good boy. Alright, you can move,” you laughed, and Julian shot up, grabbing you desperately and pulling you against him, kissing you deeply and sliding his hands along your skin like he was trying desperately to memorise the way your body curved, the way it arched, the every scar and mark and inch of you, trying to make a map of who you were in his mind, to own and keep. 

 

“You’re so stunning,” He growled, holding your waist gently, pressing his forehead against your shoulder and shaking his head a little, “I can’t believe this…”

 

You rolled your eyes and pushed him back, running your hand over your stomach and dipping it between your legs. You smiled down at him. He was watching your hands with a captivated expression, his eyes fixed on your fingers progress. You sighed happily as you dipped your finger inside yourself, drawing it out again and sliding it against your clit. Julian made a low sound in his throat and his hands on your thighs tighten. You blink, and tilt your head again.

 

“Do you wanna feel?” You asked, voice raspy and low. He groaned, immediately bringing his hands up. One pulled your own hand away, and the other replaced it. You keened as his finger slipped inside of you, but he gasped, his eyes flying wide.

 

“Oh…” He hissed, “You’re… so wet… is that… is that for  _ me _ ?”

 

The laugh in your throat was stolen by a gasp, but you still smiled fondly down at him. “Like I said…” You managed, even as your legs started to shake, “I like you. I like you… ah! A lot…” You gasped again, your thighs making to snap together reflexively, but Julian’s unoccupied hand stopped you.

 

“Ah ah…” He said, smiling deviously, “You promised…”

 

“You’re right,” You moaned, leaning forward and bracing a hand beside his head, running your fingers through his hair, grinding back down into his hand and whining.

 

“You’re beautiful,” He breathed, curling his fingers against you, making you gasp, “Oh, I just want you to cum around my fingers, my tongue, my…” he trailed off, swallowing nervously. 

 

“Say it,” You whined, tensing around his fingers, “Julian, tell me what you want,”

 

Julian huffed, “I want you to cum around my dick,” He muttered, blushing deeper. Your laugh was cut short by Julian’s thumb on your clit and a third finger slipping into you, stretching you wider. You arched, and pushed yourself back onto his hand, whining at him.

 

“Then hurry up and stick it in,” You hissed, leaning over him as you ground down into his hand and looking him in the eye. He whined, pulling his hand out and gripping your hips desperately. You reached between you, guiding his cock to your entrance and pressing him down with a hand on his stomach. Keeping him still, keeping him pinned. You smiled at him, feeling predatory, feeling in control for the first time in a week. Maybe longer. He whimpered, trying to press up into you as you teased him.

 

“Beg, sweetheart. Beg for it. Beg for me,” You whispered, “You sound so pretty when you plead for me,”

 

Julian whined again, arching and biting his lip as he tried to thrust up into you. You tutted.

  
  


“Don’t you want to be a good boy for me?” You cooed, reaching up and brushing his hair back from his forehead, “I wanna hear you beg,”

 

Julian gasped, and looked up at you, his expression sinful as he struggled for words. “P-please?” He whined, trying again to push into you, whining when you prevented him, “Please? I… I need it, I want… I want to feel you so bad, I could die from this, I need you… Please, please, I need to feel you around my cock, I can feel how wet you are, please, let me… let me be inside you,” He whined again, his voice growing higher in his desperation. “I want to feel you tight around my cock,”

 

You bent down and kissed his forehead gently. “Good boy, beautiful, that was beautiful darling, you did so well,” And then you sank down onto his cock, bottoming down and moaning as you felt him stretch you. He let out a dry sob, trembling under you as you started to ride him slowly, teasingly, making him writhe and gasp under you, his hands clutching desperately at your waist as though you could ground him. You moaned as his grip tightened, and tugged his hair a little. He whined, and you threw your head back, speeding the rhythm of your hips up as he began to shake. You felt your mouth moving without really meaning to speak. 

 

“Oh, you feel so good, Julian,” You breathed, closing your eyes and focusing on the slide of his hard dick inside of you, the way he hit just right against every spot you needed him to, the way his little whimpers sounded. “You feel so right, baby, your cock is so good, you’re so fucking good for me. You look so pretty, all laid out, blushing like that, can you see yourself in me? See how wide you’re stretching me open with that beautiful cock? You’re so perfect, so good, oh…  _ oh… _ ”

 

Julian swallowed, his grip tightening around you. He closed his eyes, “I can’t, slow down, you’re too much, I’m already gonna-”

 

“Then do it,” You hissed, speeding up even more and pulling his hair harder, arching slightly in his hands and smiling, “cum inside me, Julian, darling, do it,”

 

And he did, with a cry and a blush and his eyes screwed shut he came hard inside you, his cock pulsing and his breathing ragged and he was so damn beautiful you wished you could keep him in your bed forever, laid out and cumming over and over again inside of you. You wished you could have this for eternity. 

 

“S-sorry,” He panted, falling back as you slowed down and stopped, “That… that was quick…”

 

“No, don’t be sorry,” You leaned forward again and kissed his nose, smiling at him. You slowly lifted off of him and rolled to the side, sitting up and closing your legs tightly as you began to feel his cum leak out of you, You reached into your side drawer and rummaged for a moment, shoving aside a bundle of dried clover and some tourmaline to grasp a little vial of contraceptive. You threw it back and then turned around, pulling Julian’s scrawny frame into you and humming happily, pressing your cheek into his side and looking up at him. “I had a fucking  _ fantastic  _ time, and you did everything I asked. I’d say you did perfect,”

 

Julian flushed. “But.. you didn’t…”

 

You laughed and shook your head. “It’s not always about that,” You hugged him tighter. “And there’s always round two, right?”

 

Julian turned to you and managed a smile. “There definitely is a round two in the near future. With you, looking like that?” He let his eyes trail over you and swallowed. “The  _ very _ near future,”

 

You laughed and he wrapped his arms around you too, drawing you in for a kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs!!!!!: 
> 
> To Noise Making (Sing), Hozier
> 
> Dinner & Diatribes, Hozier
> 
> Sorry this vhap was so short, i'm dragging it out cause it's endgin soon


	14. Unexpected Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we’re almost to the end now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much you guys for reading! I’ve got one more chapter planned, and if you want, mayyybbeeee an epilogue

It wasn’t long after you had begun kissing that he rolled you over, framing you against the bed, his leg sliding between yours. You smiled into his kiss and bit his lip, grinding down on his thigh and humming. He gripped you tightly, pressing against you.

 

He drew back, flushing and breathless, looking down at you with a hunger that you didn’t think you’d ever seen in anyone’s eyes before, like he wanted to hold you, keep you, treat you gently. Like a complete surrender, and it made your heart throb painfully in your chest. 

 

“I want to taste you,” He whispered, pulling you to the end of the bed and kneeling there, “please let me taste you?”

 

You let a faint whine rise from your chest. “Of course,” You breathed, winding your fingers through his curly hair. He smiled and hooked your knees over his shoulders, pressing his face against you and sliding his tongue into you, along you, humming happily, like you were the most delicious thing that he’d ever tasted. He met your eyes, groaning as he sucked suddenly on your clit, running his tongue over it while he did. You whined, arching despite yourself, trying desperately to keep air in your lungs.

 

Julian’s hands gripped your hips tightly and he fucked you with his tongue, playing you out and drawing you up, closer and closer to cumming as he worked diligently between your legs. You gripped the sheets hard, squeezing your eyes shut and moaning.

 

You were almost there, so close, nearly to your peak, hesitating there, hovering on the edge, when the door flew open, you jerked up, supporting yourself on your elbows.

 

Asra was standing there, his hand still on the doorframe, frozen in place as Julian looked up at you, an uncharacteristic flash of mischief in his eyes as he sucked hard on your clit and slid two fingers inside of you. You gasped, your eyes meeting Asra’s at the same moment the tension inside of you broke…

 

“Master- ah!” You arched, your eyes squeezing shut and your face burning as Julian rocked his fingers into you slowly, popping off your clit and turning toward Asra with a cheeky grin. Your orgasm took you, took the breath from your lungs and the thoughts from your mind as the world narrowed to the way Julian’s long, clever fingers felt inside you and the knowledge that Asra was watching. 

 

“Ah, you’re home!” Julian said, “Welcome back,”

 

“Ilya,” Asra said, and you collapsed into the bed, covering your face with your hands and moaning.

 

“M-master…” You whined, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were going to be home…” You twitched, your legs moving to close, but Julian was still between them, looking over at Asra. 

 

Asra just stood there, looking from Julian, to you, and back again. He shrugged his bag off, and from within his coat he drew Faust. He set her on the ground, and she slithered away, her tail whipping out of sight. You swallowed and sat up, face burning. Asra looked lost in thought, his eyes flicking from Julian and then back to you. You swallowed nervously and bit your lip. “... Master?”

 

There was another pause, and then he was walking across the room, his steps fast, and you almost flinched back, but he was there, leaning down, sandwiching Julian between you as he caught the back of your neck and tilted your face up toward his. Your eyes flew wide, and your breath caught in your throat, when Asra spoke again.

 

“I told you to stop calling me that…” He whispered, and you swallowed, your eyes locked on his even as Julian began to shift and move his fingers inside you again. You tried to kill the whine as it bloomed in your chest. Asra had you caught, and you weren’t sure you could even fight against the trap you were in. 

 

“Why can’t I call you master?” You asked, eyes fixed on his, voice strained as Julian started working you open again. Asra flashed you a smile, and you felt him drawing you in.

 

“Because,” He whispered, “I really can’t take responsibility for my actions when I hear it,” 

 

And then he pressed his lips to yours, his hands sliding over your skin slowly, almost like a question as Julian shifted between you until he could press his face between your legs again. You jerked as he resumed sucking on your clit, moaning into Asra’s mouth despite yourself. 

 

Asra seemed to break. The next thing you knew you were flat on your back, and Asra was pulling Julian up, one hand tight in his hair, the other around his neck, he pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll admit I’m not sorry to see you again, especially not like this, Ilya,”

 

Julian moaned, his cock twitching visibly at the name. You bit you lip at the sight as Asra met your eyes. 

 

“Aren’t they pretty, Ilya?” He whispered, “Aren’t they just perfect? You’ve been very bad, sneaking in here and playing with my apprentice while I was away,” 

 

Julian melted at Asra’s touch, at his words, his face was flushed and his eyes fluttered. He swallowed, and Asra pushed him gently down, until he was kneeling over you. You bit your lip, looking away and grasping at a pillow overhead, pulling at it and bringing it over your face. Asra tutted and walked around the bed to you, pulling the pillow gently from your hands.

 

“I’ve waited too long for this to let you cover yourself up,” He leaned down, pressing his lips to yours again. When he parted from you, he brushed your hair back from your forehead gently.

 

Julian was watching you, his eyes hungry and maybe a little nervous- expectant? And Asra straightened up, looking at him with a mischievous, playful expression. 

 

“Ilya, you were in the middle of something, weren’t you?” He said, peeling off his sleeveless overcoat, letting it fall to his feet. He began pulling off his shirt, smiling at Julian. “Come on, Ilya… I’ve forgotten how talented that silver tongue of yours is. Give me a show,”

 

Julian whined and pulled your legs apart, making eye contact with you quickly before pressing his face back between your legs. You arched, scrambling behind you for purchase and gasping. You looked back up at Asra, desperate and pleading. He was slowly undressing, looking down at you with an expression that was so many things at once, happiness and hunger and eagerness and… and…

 

“Little love,” He cooed, pulling off his trousers and slinking into bed, pulling you up, sliding behind you and pressing himself into your back. “You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted you. How long I’ve thought about having you spread out like this,” You could feel how hard he was, pressed into your back, eager and wanting. You whined, leaning your head back against his collarbone as Julian slid his fingers back inside of you. you reached up and grasped Asra’s shoulders, biting your lips together and staring at the ceiling. 

 

“Stay with me,” Asra whispered, grinding against you and pressing his lips to your jaw, “stay here, darling love, stay with us,”

 

“Asra…” You breathed, brow furrowed. Asra groaned, gripping you tighter, grinding against you harder. You squeezed his shoulders, pushing your hips up against Julian. Julian moaned, and the vibration of it pushed you over. You came again, arching in Asra’s hands, Julian helping you along. 

 

“Julian…” You whined. Your thighs trembled on either side of him. Your eyes met his as you struggled for breath.

 

“Beautiful, so good, thank you so much Ilya, that was just… perfect,” Asra said, pulling Julian up by the hair again, bringing him in and kissing him full on the mouth. He moaned happily as he tasted you on Julian’s tongue, and Julian whimpered, pressing in against you, his hands encircling your ribs as he kissed Asra back with an eager hunger. You watched, feeling as though the breath was being taken from your lungs as they almost seemed to forget that you were pressed between them. 

 

That was, until you shifted, accidentally dragging along both of their erections as you fidgeted. They broke their kiss, and both turned to look at you, a mischievous look on Asra’s face again, but nothing but hunger in Julian’s eyes. Asra pushed you forward, almost passing you off to Julian, bringing you to your own knees and coming to kneel behind you, humming happily to see you leaned up against the doctor’s lithe frame, your sticky thighs trembling beneath you as he pulled your hips up. 

 

“Darling. Can I fuck you?” He asked, setting the head of his cock against your entrance and stroking your sides.

 

“Y-yeah…” You managed, and before you could even catch your breath he was sheathed in you, knocking all the air from your lungs. He rocked into you, and your hands scrabbled at Julian’s chest, his ribs, finding their place on his hips as Asra set a punishing pace, it pushed you into Julian, and you shook with the overwhelming nature of it all. You tried to make eye contact, but you eyes wouldn’t focus. Your brain was a mess, it felt like you’d melt into a puddle any second. Asra was filling you up and you could hardly keep your eyes in focus. Julian reached down, cupping your face and pulling you to him, kissing you. You could taste yourself and Asra both on his tongue, and whined helplessly as he hummed against you. 

 

When he broke away from you, Asra snapped forward hard, and you gasped, your hands slipping from Julian’s hips. You propped yourself up on trembling arms, your fingers curling in the sheets and a little cry rising from your throat. Asra stroked your back soothingly as he hammered into you.

 

“Darling, my love… Julian here took such good care of you, didn’t he?” He asked, his breath short, his other hand tight on your hip.

 

“Mmhm,” You hummed, looking up at Julian again. Julian stroked your hair back gently, his fingers trembling as he did.

 

“Don’t you want to thank him?” Asra cooed, both hands coming to grip your hips. You swallowed and nodded. “Say it, my love, say it,”

 

“Yes I do…” 

 

“Julian, do you want to fuck my apprentice’s mouth?” Asra asked, his tone teasing, almost like he was offering Julian a cup of tea. It made you moan, your legs shaking and your eyes fluttering closed. 

 

Julian gasped, his cock twitching. You looked up at him and your mouth fell open a little despite yourself. He ran his fingers through your hair again, and held your eyes with his, his hips stuttering in your direction. 

 

“Can I, witch?” He asked, his voice almost reverent, as though he couldn’t believe he was being given permission, like he didn’t believe you wanted him. You nodded.

 

“Let me tha-a-ank you, Julian,” You whined, arching a little as Asra kept moving against you, almost too much, definitely not enough. Julian looked gone, his face flushed- maybe from seeing you on your knees being pounded by your master, maybe just because he could still taste you as you met his eyes, asking him to fuck your throat.

 

Julian moaned, and you opened your mouth obediently as he slid his dick into you. He still tasted like you, and cum, and you moaned hard around him as he started to thrust in and out of your mouth slowly, like he was afraid, like he couldn’t believe what was happening. 

 

Asra seemed to have no such hang ups. He was fucking into you like he’d been saving it up for years, and maybe he had, because the way he was running his hands over your body was reverent, familiar, loving and lustful and it all felt so good you had to close your eyes against it as Julian ran his fingers through your hair and began thrusting a little faster, a little harder. You moaned, you legs snapping together but doing nothing to prevent another orgasm from ripping through you as Asra slammed himself into you and pulled your hips tight against his, grinding deep into you as you whimpered and cried around Julian’s cock. You felt Asra lean over you. You heard his voice in your ear. 

 

“Oh, darling, you’re squeezing my cock so tight, it’s like you’re trying to keep me inside you forever. Do you want that, love?” He hissed, still grinding into you. “I love the way you feel when you cum around my dick, the way you move, you’re  _ made  _ for this, so good, you’re so good my love, you feel so amazing around my cock, you take it so good, you’re so  _ wet _ … you love this, don’t you?”

 

Julian bit his own lip hard and his hips jerked forward, making you choke around him. He moved to draw back, but you sucked hard, and he keened and you felt him twitch against your tongue.

 

“Oh, I c-can’t… I- please, please, I c-c-ca-an-n’t…” His grip in your hair tightened, and his hips snapped forward again, and you choked again, and the way your throat tightened around him made him pull back again, and with a whimper, he came hard in your mouth.

 

You swallowed hard around him and gasped, scrambling up his body as Asra began moving inside of you again, making you feel like every nerve in your body was firing at once, overstimulated and tearful and desperate, you pulled Julian into a deep kiss, wrapping your arms around him as Asra rocked the pair of you with his thrusts. Asra shifted his grip, spreading your thighs, pressing his hand to your clit and playing with it. You saw white, crying out into Julian’s mouth. You pulled away, trying desperately to cling to Julian’s shoulders as Asra made your legs tremble, winding you tight again. Your mouth was moving- the world was nothing- all there was were the two people you were sandwiched between.

 

“Master, please… I can’t take any more… please!” You sobbed, your whole body shaking as he pressed his face into your back, kissing your shoulder blades and laughing under his breath. 

 

“You can, love, you know you can. Look at Julian. Don’t you want to show him how good you are? What a good little apprentice you can be?”

 

Julian groaned, sitting back, still supporting you and you continued to grasp his shoulders for support as Asra worked your over sensitive body back to the edge like he knew you from memory, like he knew you inside and out- you supposed he did- now at least.

 

But his hips seemed to stutter and then speed up, losing his rhythm as his grip became bruising and desperate. He made a strangled noise low in his throat, and buried himself deep inside you. He pressed down on you at the same moment that his cock twitched, and you came the same time he did.

 

Julian kissed you, trapping your whimpers between you as Asra ground his hips against you, pressing his face between your shoulder blades and hissing our a low breath. 

 

You collapsed down on top of Julian. Asra slid out of you with a hiss, and you whined. Julian hummed happily and pulled you into him. 

 

“Well… that was unexpected,” Julian laughed, pressing another kiss to your forehead. You laughed too, smiling up at him, then looking over your shoulder, the post orgasmic fog in your mind reflected back at you on Asra’s face. 

 

“Good unexpected?” Asra asked, voice a little muffled due to the way his face was pressed against you. 

 

You smiled. Julian rested his chin on your head. “Yes, definitely,”

 

You hesitated. Some of the fog in your mind was clearing, and the reality of the situation you were in was setting in. You cleared your throat.

 

“So… Julian told me you two uh… know each other?”

 

Asra laughed. Julian looked rueful. “Yeah,” Asra groaned, wrapping his arms around your waist, “You could say that…”

 

“I’m more than one sense,” Julian muttered. You paused again, trying to phrase things delicately.

 

“Well… I care about you both… very much. Excessively, to tell you the truth and… well… I don’t know your history… but…” You hesitated. Asra’s grip on you tightened, as did Julian’s. There was a moment where you felt a bit like a scrap of food between two alleycats, but the moment passed, and the tension faded. Asra cleared his throat. 

 

“To be truthful… Julian… I know I treated you wrong. I… I was hurting, and I behaved like that gave me the right to hurt other people,” Asra swallowed, looking away. “I am sorry,”

 

A muscle in Julian’s jaw twitched, and he nodded, before looking away. “I was wrong too. I… I put more on you than I should have. Ah… I…” He flushed, his eyes flicking from you, to Asra, and back again. “I suppose I should… go… then…”

 

You and Asra both started, surprised. it was your turn to grip him now. 

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Well you two… want to be alone, don’t you?” Julian asked, his voice a little shaky. Asra’s exclamation was wordless, but you managed to speak your disapproval.

 

“No! Julian, please stay. We both want you here…” You cleared your throat, glancing over your shoulder, quickly checking that you told the truth. “Now… if you two… ah. This is…” You cleared your throat again. “I know this is… but if you two… and you two  _ have _ … and I- If both of you… not just me though! All of us… um…”

 

“I’m game if Asra is,” Julian said, shrugging. He flashed a mischievous grin. “We may need to get a bigger bed, though, if this is going to be routine,”

 

You both looked at Asra, who was smiling. “I think this one is cozy. You’ll just have to deal with being squished between us, Julian. Do you think you can bear it?” He teased, eyes sparkling. You grinned, and Julian blushed.

 

“I… suppose I can suffer through it,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> In The Middle, Dodie
> 
> A closeness, Dermont Kennedy
> 
> No Plan, Hozier
> 
> To Noise Making (sing), Hozier


	15. And... Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and thank you for your kind words!!! <3
> 
> also if you want an epilogue just comment lol

You weren’t sure exactly how long it was since you’d all begun, since Asra had stumbled in on you and Julian and you’d decided to try things- it felt so natural that time didn’t matter at all. The shop was filled with sunlight these days, and you hardly ever stopped smiling. There was bare feet and dancing in the kitchen. Julian had moved out of the palace, and he slept between you and Asra. You all went to the rowdy raven, sang in the streets, danced on tables and cooked and laughed together.

 

It was perfect. Street urchins found meals at your table and a warm place to stay in your shop at night. Asra hardly ever went away any more, he kissed your temple when you asked why. 

 

“Temptation is no longer something I have to resist,” He replied, cryptic as ever, but you guessed his meaning.

 

He’d been fleeing his feelings for you, supposing them unrequited.

 

Julian was, at times, nervous. You and Asra were almost always together, but with his days away at the palace, he was only home at nights. You both made sure he knew he was just as much a part of the relationship as either of you. You all loved one another.

 

Asra continued to teach you magic, and you, in turn, showed Julian a little bit of pyromancy, just enough to light his candles at night and warm his fingers after washing them in cold water. He grew a little more comfortable with magic. Asra grew a little more comfortable with people. 

 

It could have just been you. Maybe your newfound happiness was making the world seem kinder, but… Vesuvia seemed to be mending. The flooded district was drained and repaired, turned into safe and affordable housing. There was even talk of an orphanage opening. The coliseum closed, and there was rumours of the Countess consulting with diplomats from other cities and countries about instating a legal system modelled on the one in Prakra. 

 

There was still hunger in the streets, and anxiety amongst the poor- you supposed that could never leave fully, but… things seemed to be changing for the better. 

 

You wondered why…

 

But you never asked Julian. You all had an unspoken agreement to not discuss the palace save a quick ‘How was your day, Ilya, darling?” from either you or Asra when the doctor came in, shrugging off his cape and holding you from behind, watching over your shoulder as you stirred the food on the stove and Asra poured him a cup of tea before plodding over to kiss his cheek.

 

There was a… neatness to it all, the way it has all fit together. Something strange in it. When, ever, was there a real-life happy ending? How could your life be this perfect? Card 21, the world in your hands and perfection in its entirety-

 

And then you realised.

 

It was because your happy ending was someone’s tragedy. That you having your little unkempt corner of heaven on earth hurt someone else. But how could you feel bad, when the hurt you caused had drained the old shopping district? What pain could you feel when the sands of the coliseum no longer felt the splatter of blood? 

 

Could you feel bad when his unhappy ending was a happy ending for so many, including yourself?

 

The sun rose, the sun set, the world was beautiful. There was drinking on the stairs, travelling together, lips pressed to bruises and tea in the early mornings. Julian’s pale, long fingered hands on Asra’s tan thighs and Asra’s voice in your ear. You kissed Julian’s tears away of bad days and felt Asra’s heart beat in time with yours when he felt jealous. Balance existed. You had it. There was light even in the dark. 

 

But despite it all, he had been right. When he had said you wouldn’t be able to forget him. When you slid into the bath and looked down at the thin scars along your front, when you saw beautiful, pristine books in the book binder’s shop window, when you smelled the wine in the market.

 

When a new athame was left on your doorstep in the night, cast in silver and gold with a ruby set in the hilt. 

 

You thought of Lucio.

 

And then you kept living your life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs: 
> 
> Dinner & Diatribes, Hozier
> 
> Shrike, Hozier
> 
> Mr. Medicine, Eliza Doolittle
> 
> Pack Up, Eliza Doolittle

**Author's Note:**

> Songs for this chapter:
> 
> Strangers, Halsey
> 
> Bury Me Face Down, grandson


End file.
